Into the Woods
by Kawaii Spinel Queen of Evil
Summary: When their home is compromised by the growth of urban development, the Hedgies must venture onward to find a new home... What they find is a woodland utopia. However, underneath the glamour is something darker and more sinister...
1. Prologue

**A/N: **It's been a long, long time since I've posted here, and an even longer time since I saw a movie that instantly warranted a fanfic written about it. (Cough _Finding Nemo _Cough) So here I am with what could possibly be one of the first (movie-based, anyway) _Over the Hedge _fanfic. Cue the fanfare now.

A little note before I begin... The characters of Ruby (AKA Luby) and Velma are actually from the original comics and are not mine. Having not read the comics, my take on their characters is merely from what I've read about them elsewhere (and there really isn't much on Velma personality-wise, so I had to improvise and take liberties). I changed Luby's name to "Ruby" for the sake of this fanfic because the name Luby bothers me, and besides... What's a consonant sound between friends, huh? While I know her history is definitely not what it should be, I had to take even more liberties to make an interesting plot. It's probably no more or less what Dreamworks would do. Bear with me here, aside from violence that could not be used in a children's movie and references that probably shouldn't be referenced, I'm trying to keep in mind, "What would Dreamworks do?" And by Dreamworks, I mean anyone involved with the original _Over the Hedge _who would be dedicated to making a sequel as witty, intelligent, and grand as the first.

As another note, I know how a lot of people feel about OC romances, so I avoided it with a blind passion for the sake of this story and while there may scenarios that warrant what amounts to an OC romance, I promise you that nothing will really develop unless a vast majority out there demands it. You can interpret Luby/Ruby and Velma anyway you want, but they're pretty much what I'd imagine Dreamworks to do with the characters if they should ever appear in a sequel or something, so technically they're supposed to be with RJ and Verne, but that doesn't mean it's going to be all "OMG! L-O-V-E" just as soon as the characters meet. I believe that romance should develop naturally over the course of a story, and I try to do that as best I can.

**Disclaimer: **The characters used in this story are copyrighted to Dreamworks Pictures, Michael Fry and T. Lewis, and not me. I own this plot, and the characters of Xylia, Tristan, Sadie, Doyle, Amity, Cyril, Dorian, Val,and various other invented characters that may make appearances. I am making no profit off of this operation. It's just my way of dealing with overactive plot bunnies.

**Title: **Into the Woods  
**Rating: **PG (Possibly PG-13 later)  
**Genre: **Action/Adventure/Comedy/Romance/Drama  
**Summary: **When their home is compromised in favor of urban expansion, RJ, Verne, and the other animals are forced to seek out another place to live, and their search leads them to what amounts to a woodland valley utopia, but there's trouble in this beautiful paradise... Nothing is what it seems in this valley, and danger lurks at every turn...

_**Into the Woods**_

_**Prologue**_

She had lived in this valley for a long time, but unlike most of the poor animals who had lived their whole lives here, she knew that there was something better and this was not how life was supposed to be lived. There were no queens out beyond the valley who ruled with an iron paw, and food was available for all and not given out as a reward for following rules and even then only in meager amounts. Even so, everyone who lived in the valley believed it to be a paradise, and there was no convincing them otherwise. The queen kept them protected from any and all predators... Or at least that's what they were lead to believe. No one ever paid a second thought to the ones who vanished in the night, never to be seen again. They drew their own naive conclusions and left it at that.

"Ruby, are we going the right way?"

Except for her. She was the reason why they vanished.

"It's not much farther, Harold."

The large hedgehog lumbered after her as they continued up the mountain. "I hope not."

"You won't regret it, I promise."

"Yeah," a smile crossed Harold's lips. "I can't believe the queen is letting me into her private gardens. My children have been so hungry lately. The food Tristan and the others bring just isn't enough, you know? They're growing boys. I bet they'll be so proud of their old dad. Imagine! Being hand-selected from all those animals to have this honor!"

Ruby laughed nervously, a pained look on her face. "Sure, Harold... They'll be real proud of you."

They continued on in silence, working their way up the steep, stony passageway through the mountains. Ruby knew full well that this path didn't lead into the grove of fruit and nut-bearing trees that Queen Xylia had tightly guarded at all hours to keep the "ignorant masses" from it, and it wouldn't be long before Harold realized it too... But by then it would be too late.

And it would be all her fault.

She thought about telling him to run away and get out as she had thought to do many times when she was forced to complete this common mission, but she knew that the queen's henchmen would only find him before he got too far, and then kill both him and his family. Sometimes it was better for all involved if she just did her job properly and lived with the guilt that was constantly piled onto her already fragile heart each time she did the queen's bidding.

_Soon it won't hurt anymore, my dear Ruby. Soon you'll actually enjoy it._

Xylia's voice echoed in the back of her mind and she shook her head, trying to dislodge that hateful, lilting voice. It was a lie. It was all a horrible lie. She would never enjoy doing this to good animals who deserved better than... Well this. And by this it didn't just mean the situation that Harold and many before him had been led to by her, but also the entirety of this horrible utopian illusion that Xylia had created.

She tried not to think too much, andled Harold up onto a ledge that overlooked the entire valley, the mouth of a large cave gaping wide-mouthed behind it. For a moment, Harold just stood on the ledge looking out over the trees and made a whistling noise. "My, what a view this is!" He said, utterly amazed. "Look at it, Ruby."

"I've seen it," Ruby said, looking away.

Harold turned to face her, cocking his head to the side. "Ruby, you okay? You seem a little distracted and upset for some reason."

"Yeah, Harold," she whispered, biting back a small growl of frustration. "I'm fine."

He took a step towards her, realization dawning on his face. "You aren't taking me to the queen's garden, are you?"

She looked at him, her dark blue eyes welling up with tears that she tried hard to not let fall. Harold had a family! He had three wonderful boys and a loving wife! This wouldn't be the first time she'd taken a father or a mother away from their family, however, and she knew it wouldn't be the last... And yet it always hurt her and it always would, no matter what the queen said. She shook her head and Harold, with no expression on his face, turned to face the beautiful view of the valley below them.

"It really is a beautiful view," he said. "I couldn't think of a better thing tosee before I go." There was a long pause, and then, "Ruby..."

Ruby choked back a small sob. They always made this so hard on her! "Yes, Harold?"

"Watch over Sara and my boys, will you?"

"Can you really trust me with your family?" Ruby said sullenly. It was a request that was often asked of her, and yet she never understood why anyone bothered. If any of them had the slightest clue that she was the one who led all those who had vanished to the queen's quarters and to their deaths they would never allow her to live among them as she did. And yet these poor saps continued to ask her to look after their families when they were gone even after they had discovered she'd betrayed the trust they'd placed in her.

She froze suddenly as Harold placed his paws on her shoulders. She struggled to force herself not to meet his gaze, shuddering slightly, but he pulled her chin towards him, forcing their eyes to meet. "I forgive you," he whispered.

She broke down crying, unable to hold it in anymore. This was the first time in a long time that she'd cried in the process of doing her job, and she hated herself for it, but this was just too much for her to bear. Harold removed his paws from her face and shoulders and looked at her, his face showing the genuine acceptance of his fate as well as sympathy for the sobbing she-raccoon. "Where should I go now?"

Without looking at him and still sobbing, she jerked her arm towards the cave. Harold cast one last smiling glance at the valley below him and made his way into the cave. A few moments later there was the sound of loud growling and squabbling and a few pained screams that might have come from Harold, but also might have come from a wolf who had gotten hit by his spikes by getting too cocky,and then there was suddenly nothing but the horrible noises of something being grotesquely devoured, meaning Harold had completely given up and was gone now. Ruby sank to the ground, covering her masked face with her paws.

"I can't do this anymore," she whispered.

"But you will," a cold voice whispered in her ear. She suddenly jumped up, her tears forgotten as she whirled to face the owner of the voice.

"Tristan," she breathed, her blue eyes meeting the calculating green ones of the small red fox that now sat at the entrance to the cave. He swished his long, bushy tail as he grinned smugly at her.

"Ruby," he replied. "Long time, no see."

"Not long enough," Ruby scowled. "I expected you to be out scavenging around the campgrounds by now. 'Tis the season, you know."

"And miss the fun?" Tristan smirked. "You seem oddly sassy for someone who just killed a poor sap who believed you to be their friend."

Ruby looked away. "I didn't kill him."

"You caused the circumstances leading to his death," Tristan laughed, standing up and walking past her, allowing his tail to carress her underneath her chin. "That means you killed him," he whispered in her ear as he circled back around her.

"The queen caused the circumstances by making me do this!" She snapped back.

"You could refuse her."

Ruby opened her mouth to reply, but shook her head and sat down at the end of the ledge, staring into the valley as Harold had done, trying to soak in its beauty like he had, and seeing nothing but pain and death out there.

And she was one of the bringers of that pain and death.

Tristan laughed coldly at her stotic silence and casually sidled up to her, wrapping his tail around her as he plopped down beside her, his gaunt body pressing into hers. "Of course you can't refuse her, Ruby. After all, she saved your miserible life." Ruby looked away and Tristan snatched her chin in his paws, roughly jerking her face to meet his in a much more violent mimic of what Harold did earlier. "She holds your life in her claws, Rubes. You can't do anything to deny her."

"Shut up!" Ruby snapped, pushing him away and backing towards the cave. The sounds had all but died down now. Silently, she hoped Harold's death had been quick and painless before she focused her attentions completely on Tristan. "You don't know me!"

"I know enough about you to know that you're not the top of the food chain, sister," Tristan smirked, sauntering past her. "It's time that you learned where your place was in the grand scheme of things and settled into it." He paused as a large, shadowy figure emerged from the cave. A scrawny wolf that looked as if he'd been gnawed on many times during his existence in the world stopped just beside Tristan and looked down at Ruby, his fangs glistening with fresh blood and bits of meat still stuck to them. Ruby quickly looked away, knowing where the blood and meat had come from.

"Dorian," Tristan said bemusedly, "it's nice to see you out and about."

The wolf, called Dorian, flashed Tristan a look of annoyance and then turned back to Ruby. "Mother wants to see you," he said in a nasally voice.

"_Touche,_" Tristan smirked. "And what would mother dearest want with our darling Ruby? Does she want her to bring you dessert, perhaps? I hear Harold's wife is plesantly plump. Or maybe one of his little ones? They'd make a great midnight snack. You get past the quills and hedgehog is an excellent delicacy, I hear... Of course, you'd probably know that by now, aye Dorian?"

"Tristan, shut up!" Ruby snapped.

Dorian seemed to agree with her sentiments and snapped viciously at the red fox, who didn't flinch as the wolf's teeth snapped close inches away from his muzzle. "I wasn't talking to you."

"Of course you weren't," Tristan replied, unable to hide his annoyance. "No one ever does speak to me around here unless they want something from me. Well, it's been lovely chatting, but I have some campground foraging to do." He started over towards the pathway that led down the mountain, but stopped briefly and turned to look at Dorian. "By the way, Dorian, you have some Harold in your teeth."

Dorian responded by snarling at Tristan until he laughed sardonically and trotted down the path. Only when he had completely vanished did Dorian use his tongue to clean his teeth as best he could. Ruby winced and looked away until the scrawny wolf was finished and motioned for her to follow him into the cave. It was dark inside, but her night vision picked up the dim shapes of Queen Xylia's henchmen, her fellow wolves- many of them, like Dorian, her own children. They all eyed her with a hungry look in their eyes- obviously Harold had only been sport for a few of them, and the rest were still very much hungry and getting hungrier every second they smelled the freshly spilt blood in the air. She swallowed hard, trying to push the negative thoughts out of her head and kept her face straight ahead as she was led to the very back of the cave where a large outcropping had been cut into the stone wall. This was the throne of Xylia, and the queen, herself, lay upon it, sprawled like a contented cat.

She was an old wolf, solid white and still large with muscle that was only now starting to wear thin. Although she rarely hunted herself, she was physically capable of running with the best of her pack even to this day. However, as a queen, she felt it beneath her dignity to participate in group hunts and preferred to hunt alone when she felt willing to do so. Otherwise she was simply brought her meals.

In the prescence of his mother, Dorian's demeanor suddenly changed from cool killer to overzealous puppy in an instant. "I brought her like you asked, Mother. See? See?" He suddenly picked Ruby up by the scruff of her neck and waved her about a little bit roughly in front of the queen, despite the small raccoon's squeaks of protest.

"Put her down, Dorian. You'll hurt her," Xylia said coldly. Dorian obeyed instantly and Ruby hit the stone floorhard, groaning a little in pain. "You may leave," the queen addressed her son and he quickly scampered off to join his breathern, leaving Ruby alone with the old she-wolf. "You did well, my dear."

"Thank you," Ruby said sullenly.

"Why so sad? You're earning your keep, Ruby."

"I just don't think it's right to do this to them. Keep them here in this valley, forcing them to rely on you for food and protection just so you can pick them off whenever you and the others get bored with your hunting grounds."

"It's a way of life, but why should you worry about it? You're not like them... As long as you act as my 'representative' among them and bring me what I want when I want it, you have no need to worry about anything as long as you live. Deny me, and you'll be the next one my boys tear apart. You understand?"

Ruby grimaced, knowing that she didn't want to go out as a meal for these wolves even though agreeing meant that she'd once again have to betray a friend another day. Still, she whispered. "Yes, my queen."

"That's my girl," Xylia laughed. "You're dismissed."

Ruby gave a small bow and moved to leave, but once again Xylia spoke. "Never forget that I'm the one who raised you, Ruby. I'm the one who protects you from those miserible humans. You'd be dead without me, and you'll die if you ever forsake me. You will remember that, won't you?"

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't," Ruby replied. It wasn't a lie either. She had nightmares about her life before Xylia found her and taken pity on her. She knew better than to bite the hand that fed her, but that didn't make it right.

It would never make it right, and it would never wash the stench of blood from her paws.

_(**A/N: **Relatively short prologue with none of the original cast, sadly. ;; They'll be in the next chapter, don't worry. I wouldn't want anyone to think this was an OC-driven piece, because it's really not unless you count Ruby/Luby as being an OC, and then it kinda is. But it's mostly about everyone's favorite Hedgies. Anyway... Please review! Feed a starving writer!)_


	2. New Developments

**Disclaimer: **The characters used in this story are copyrighted to Dreamworks Pictures, Michael Fry and T. Lewis, and not me. I own this plot, and the characters of Xylia, Tristan, Sadie, Doyle, Amity, Cyril, Dorian, Val, and various other invented characters. I am making no profit off of this operation. It's just my way of dealing with overactive plot bunnies.

_**Chapter One- New Developments**_

The three members of the Morris family household had just sat down to dinner and their conversation could be heard through the cracks in the dog door that led to the garage, where a mischevious raccoon could be found, listening in, awaiting the moment when Mrs. Morris would be depositing the dinner scraps in Ol' Scruffy's dog dish here in the garage. Scruffy, however, would be sadly disappointed as he had been for many nights since this game had become a nighttime ritual for the little brownish-furred raccoon.

_All in an honest night's work, _RJ grinned to himself, settled atop some old packing crates that sat in plain sight of the door and close enough to hear every word spoken at the dinner table.

"They're expanding into that wooded area, you know," Mr. Morris said, through a mouthful of food. RJ's entire body suddenly tensed up. "They start tearing down trees at the end of the week."

"Oh, just what we need- more houses that look exactly the same and more nosey neighbors. At least we got rid of that awful Gladys, though," Mrs. Morris replied.

"She was a real piece of work, that one."

"I heard she got quite a sentence for using that illegal animal trap."

"Serves her right."

RJ leaned further off his perch, straining to catch every word. _What about the wooded area_? His mind raced back to what Mr. Morris had said at first, knowing full-well that was where he and his new family were currently living. If that was destroyed, they'd be rendered completely homeless and he didn't need that to happen... Not after he'd spent two months adapting and finding his niche here in this little Suburban paradise. There wasn't much he could do about it, however. When humans put their mind to something that would expand their own insufferable greed, they usually did it.

The Morris'ten-year-old daughter spoke up. "They're really going to destroy the woods? Don't animals live there?"

"No duh, Sherlock"RJ muttered.

"Well, of course, sweetie," her mother answered her.

"Won't the animals' homes get destroyed?"

"This kid has a brilliant career in rocket science," RJ responded, rolling his steely blue eyes.

Mrs. Morris paused for a long time, and it was easy to tell without seeing her face that she was obviously struggling to find an answer that wouldn't traumatize the poor kid. "...Yes," she finally said, as if she were tasting it.

Without missing a beat, the girl went on, "Where will they live then?"

"They'll just find new homes, darling," Mrs. Morris answered, equally as fast. She then added, as a quick change of subject, "Rolls, dear?"

RJ slunk down from his perch, no longer feeling up to table scraps. "Easy for you to say, lady," he sighed discontentedly. He took a brief glance at Scruffy's bowl and then looked to the old Scottish terrier that did nothing but sleep all day, making him the perfect target forthe raccoon'sthievery, lying- surprise, surprise-fast asleep on the tarmac. "You win tonight, Scruffy."

If the dog heard, he showed no sign of it.

* * *

RJ passed through the hedge and was greeted by Hammy, who attacked his waist so suddenly that the small raccoon fell over in shock. "What'dja bring me?" The hyperactive squirrel giggled.

"Not really in the mood, Hammy," RJ replied with a slightly aggravated tone. Hammy instantly backed off, but hopped energetically from one foot to the other while the raccoon regained his composure.

"What happened out there, huh? Huh?" Hammy asked eagerly as if he were begging for treats.

"Where's Verne?" RJ asked, completely avoiding Hammy's question. If anyone needed to know this first, it was Verne. He was still (sort of) the leader of this faction, after all.

"In the log. What happened?" Hammy said, still bouncing about madly.

"I'll tell you later," RJ waved him off and Hammy suddenly stopped hopping, his tiny ears drooping.

"'Kay," he said, somewhat sullenly. RJ hated to shoot the kid down like that, but he had more important things to do than cater to Hammy's hyperactive tendencies.

He found Verne a few moments laterinside the log, just as Hammy said, taking note of their stock of food for the winter. He had to smile at that. Verne was so meticulous it bordered on being farsical (if not a little bit OCD), so every habit he had was considered comedic entertainment... For RJ, at least. The raccoon rested onepaw casually on the log and leaned on it, still smirking in a smug way. "How many days until hibernation now, Verne?"

"Two hundred and thirteen," Verne replied without missing a beat.

RJ whistled. "That is a _long_ time."

"Not long enough; we're still behind." Verne turned to face RJ, looking skeptically at his raccoon friend. "Something on your mind?"

RJ forced a fake smile. "And what would give you that idea, Verney?"

"Verne," Verne corrected, "not Verney, and I know you better than that. If something wasn't wrong you would have come up with a better answer than 'That is a long time.'"

"Maybe my quips are rusty," RJ shrugged, but plopped down on the grass anyway, allowing his cheerful facade to melt away. Verne sat down beside him, ready to hear what was obviously bad news. "The thing is, the humans are planning on building more houses."

Verne shrugged. "I figured you'd be happy about that. More houses equals more people to steal from."

"No, you don't understand," RJ said, gesticulating to the ground. "They're going to build on this spot."

This took a moment for Verne to process, and when it finally hit him the only words that came out of his mouth were, "This very spot."

"This... Very... Spot."

"Even the log?"

"Especially the log."

"When?"

"End of this week."

Reality suddenly smacked Verne in the face and he was able to better process how grave the situation at hand was. However, his common sense wasn't yet fuelling his capibility for pertinent speech. He gestured wildly to the log with its collection of winter food piling up inside of it in protest of the situation. "What about all the food we've gathered?"

RJ flopped onto his back, staring up at the night sky, ignoring how infuriating it was that Verne's first instinct was to think of the food and not their individual lives. "Gone." He raised a single paw and waved it dramatically in circles in the air above him. "Gone with the wind." His arm fell limply across his eyes in the fashion of an over-dramatic prima donna and he let out a theatrical sigh. "And frankly, my dear Scarlett, I do give a-"

"Wait!" Verne snapped, jerking RJ back to sitting position. "You're the idea guy! You're supposed to know how to deal with these kinds of situations."

RJ gently removed Verne's scaly hands from his shoulders. "Normally I would have an excellent idea, because _normally_ I'm always thinking five steps ahead of any possible danger, but this thing crept up on me and beat me severely over the head in a painfully metaphorical way. I didn't know what hit me! Heck, I still don't."

"So am I supposed to tell everyone that at the end of this week we'reallhomeless and/or dead?" Verne snapped.

"No, I fully intend to come up with something... But what?" RJ pounded his head with a tiny fist. "Think, RJ, think. Use that fantastical mind of yours and figure something out!"

"It'd probably be easier just find a new place to live, rather than wait for you to figure out a plan this late in the game," Verne muttered.

A lightbulb suddenly came on in RJ's head (accented by the appearance of a conveinently placed lightning bug). "Verne, that idea may just be crazy enough to work!"

"Huh?"

This time RJ grabbed Verne's shoulders and shook him a little. "We relocate!"

"RJ, I don't think-"

"Shhhh," RJ mimed "shut up" with his paw and Verne reluctantly quieted. "The fact is there's better places out there than Suburbia. I'm talking the same type scenario with more of the Great Outdoors to enjoy." He started listing, punctuating each word by forcing Verne to sink deeper into his shell until RJ's head was nearly inside of it along with the turtle. "Campgrounds, Rest Stops, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera."

"Sounds interesting," Verne said dryly, his voice echoing from within the shell.

RJ stepped back, allowing Verne to push his head back up, and braced himself for the _coup de gracie_ of his latest scheme. "And surrounding these places is acres and acres of untapped woodland where you don't even have to look at a human if you don't want to."

"RJ, that's all well and good, but you can't expect us to walk all the way there, do you? You have to think of Lou and Penny's little ones. They couldn't travel such a long distance by foot."

"Who said anything about walking?" RJ laughed. "In case you haven't noticed the heat and humidity, it's summer right now, and do you know what that means?"

"We only have one more season to go before winter?"

"No! It means the humans are going on vacation, and when humans go on vacation in the summer, it usually involves camping in the woods somewhere. All we have to do is hitch a ride with someone heading towards the forest, and bada-bing, bada-boom! We're in paradise!"

"This all sounds a little... farfetched, and I don't know if I want to risk the family's life on an idea you came up with in two seconds."

"Aw, Verne, all the great plans hit their creators quickly. If they came slowly, no one would ever get anything done, 'cause they'd all be sitting around waiting for plans to formulate... You see?"

Verne thought about it long and hard. "Not really."

RJ shrugged. "That's why I'm the idea guy. Now, come on! We've gotta run this by everyone else." He took off running, leaving Verne standing dumbfounded at his retreating form. He sighed and shook his head. "I have a bad feeling that this is going to end badly for everyone involved."

For some reason, however, he followed RJ anyway.

RJ held his meeting in what was now known as the _cul de sac_, where all their stolen goodies resided. The small raccoon stood on top of his bag, holding a miniture golf club clutched in his tinypaws like a pointer, and surveyed his motely crew or, as they were more commonly known, his family. In two months, nothing had really changed about them, with the exception of Stella's newfound self-confidence brought about by her relationship with Tiger who had joined the family as well (seeing as he had nowhere else to go with his home a smoking crater and his mistress in jail). Tiger had proven himself a worthy emmisary to the family's cause, however,since he could easily get into places the other animals wouldn't dream of going for fear of a repeat of the Verminator incident. For the most part, however, everything else had remained blissfully the same.

...And all that was soon to change.

* * *

"Guys, I have good news and bad news."

Hammy raised his paw and began to wave it about violently. RJ sighed, rolled his eyes, and pointed to him with the golf club. "Yes, Hammy."

"What's the good news?" The little squirrel asked excitedly.

"I'll get to that in a minute. First, it's important to know-" RJ stopped as Hammy's paw shot up again. "Hammy?"

"Is it cookies?"

RJ fought to control his temper, although he twitched a little, showing obvious signs that he was mere seconds from losing it. He adored that little nutjob of a squirrel, but Hammy could be so infuriating at times that he almost wished he could be completely sane for just for a hour. At least then he'd be able to get his plan out in the open without mindless distraction. He breathed deeply and held his palms out in front of him in a calming motion. "No, Hammy," he said sardonically, "it's not cookies."

"But I like the cookie," Hammy pouted.

"I know," RJ said with a forced smile on his face. "And you know what? If you let me finish what I have to say with no more interruptions, I will find you the biggest box of cookies known to humankind and have it hand-delivered to you by a bunch of beautiful she-squirrels, who will then hand-feed them to you while fanning you with peacock feathers." Hammy's eyes lit up at that suggestion and he quickly mimed zipping his mouth shut and stared straight head with a silly grin on his face. Satisfied, RJ tapped the golf club on his palm, trying to regain his train of thought. "Where was I?"

"Good and news and bad news there, RJ," Lou replied.

"Thank you, Lou," the raccoon responded. He cleared his throat and started again. "The bad news is that at the end of this week our little community here;" he made a circle in the air with one finger, shoving the golf club behind his back like a drill sergeant often holds his riding crop, "will be completely wiped off the map." Everyone, aside from Verne, who had already allowed the shock to set it, and, obviously, RJ gasped. "We're standing on a choice piece of property that will soon merge into Suburbia and make us very much homeless, and if we don't act now we'll be very much dead as well as homeless."

"Jeepers," Penny breathed, at a loss for words.

"Humans," Tiger scoffed. "They think they own everything."

"Well, they sorta do," RJ shrugged. "They are the dominant species."

"But this is, like, our home!" Heather protested. "They just can't..."She paused, grasping at straws to find something decent to add to that, but failed and went on anyway. "...Like, do that to us."

"You're right, Heather," Ozzie said, grasping his daughter by the shoulders with one arm and gesturing dramatically with the other. "We'll go straight to the government and protest these atrocities!"

There was a long period of silence and the part of RJ's mask that gave some vauge semblence of an eyebrow shot up. "And how would we go about doing that, Oz?"

Ozzie looked at him as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. "We play dead, and in doing so we garner enough sympathy to rally the humans to our cause and put them completely against taking this place away from us."

"That's... Not actually a bad idea there," Lou spoke up since RJ was obviously too dumbfounded to reply.

"Yeah, I like that idea," Penny agreed with her husband, nodding.

"I don't wanna play dead!" Spike whined.

RJ shook himself out of his shock. "No one is going to play dead. Don't you get it? Humans, with the exception of a few extremist groups who no one ever takes seriously, don't care about us. Everything is all about them."

"So what do _you_ suggest we do?" Stella spoke up, planting her paws firmly on her hips. "This has been our home for as long as I can remember. You can't expect us to just sit here and let them take it from us?"

"They've done it before, Stella. May I draw your attention to the hedge?" RJ gesticulated with his golf club to the general direction where the hedge lay. "They snuck up on you and took that part of your forest while you were sleeping. You guys got lucky they left this part of your home alone until you were awake, because if you're fully cognizant, you can formulate a plan, and my fantastical brain has done that part for you."

Verne rolled his eyes and smacked his forehead. "Here we go."

"Before I tell you the good news and my plan, I'd like to make a little literary allusion. Any of your ever read a book called _Watership Down_?" There was a mixed response from the other animals that mostly amounted to pretty much a general concensus of "no." RJ scratched the back of his head with his golf club and rolled his eyes nonchalantly. He hadn't really figured they'd read it anyway. "I'll steal it for you sometime. It's a book everyone should read. That Richard Adams was a human who knew how to get into an animal's skull, I tell you. Anyway, the story goes like this. There's these rabbits who have a warren on this farmland that's scheduled to be plowed under. A group of them hear about the danger and flee to find a new home, facing many trials and tribulations along the way until they find a virtual paradise. That, my friends, is what I expect us to do."

"...But we're, like, not rabbits," Heather said, after a long pause.

"It's not about the rabbits!" RJ said, gesturing wildly. "It's about finding something even better than this. I've been around the block a few times and while Suburbia is grand, it can only last so long. We can't spend our life living in a hedge while the humans continue to overpopulate the area. It's time we migrated and I know just the place." He tugged a brochere out of his golf bag- much to Verne's surprise because the raccoon hadn't mentioned this before now-and tossed it to the ground in front of the other animals.

"Silver Springs Campground and Wildlife Preserve," Verne read allowed from the brightly colored text that was blazened on the cover of the brochere. Several pictures adorned it as well, depicting beautiful cabins, lush forest land, and animals at play. It painted an idyllic picture, indeed.

"Jeepers," the porcupine triplets said in unison as they stared at the pictures.

"Oh, Tiger, would you look at that," Stella said, clasping the housecat's paws in hers as they huddled together, staring in awe at the pictures.

"It's a masterpiece, my love," Tiger replied.

"It looks like a good place to raise a family, don'tcha know?" Penny said to Lou, smiling brightly. Her husband nodded in agreement.

"Sure does, Penny." He looked down at his three sons and his smile broadened. "It sure does."

"Humans can't hurt us there," RJ continued. "It's a preserve which means we're the majority and they're the minority for once. It's like Suburbia reversed!" He pointed to the cabins. "The humans stay in these during the summer so we can steal just as much food there as we did here, as well as all the nuts and berries and stuff that Verne loves." Verne scoffed a little at this, but RJ continued, pretending not to hear. "Best of all, the cabins are empty in the winter so you have a cozy hibernation spot that's better than any old log."

"Do they have TV?" Quillo piped up.

"Some of the swankier ones might," RJ shrugged. "And I only go for the best for my family."

"Awesome!" The triplets squeaked in unison.

"I still don't know about this," Verne broke in before the mood could get too joyous.

"Has anyone ever told you, Verne, that you're a real buzzkill?" RJ asked dryly.

"No... In fact I'm not even sure what that means," Verne replied. "Look, this sounds great and all, but don't you think it's too good to be true?"

"Tell me, Verne, is _this _too good to be true?" RJ picked up the brochere and opened it, revealing a large fold out picture of the most beautiful valley Verne had ever seen his entire life. He could almost hear a chorus of angels singing its praises it was so heavenly... For a moment, he almost thought it was glowing with unearthly, holy light.

"It's beautiful," Verne whispered.

RJ folded the brochure shut with one quick movement, and all visions of heavenly lights and choirs of angels vanished. "Then it's settled!" A cheer rang up amongst the animals as they all celebrated their good fortune at finding a new home at such short notice. Verne watched with slight horror. He knew that RJ could be trusted now, but that still wasn't any reason for everyone to jump on every good idea he had without knowing every detail.

"Wait, wait, wait," he said, stopping the celebration on a dime. "I think we need to get a few things straight first."

"Such as?" RJ asked, slightly bemused. Verne hated that look. It was the look that said, "I have an idea for everything, and maybe they just might work."

"Like how are we going to get there?"

"Got that all figured out," RJ smirked. "Our old pal Tiger is going to stake out houses for a couple of nights and find out which family is heading towards our destination before the week's end. We hitch a ride in that family's car and make our way to _casa paradisio._" RJ pulled a maracca out of his bag and shook it for effect, and the celebration commenced.

Verne knew it was a hopeless case now. RJ had them all wrapped around his finger once again. Over the past two months, he had developed a lot of respect for the small raccoon, but somehow he could never seem to sit back, relax, and allow RJ to take the wheel, because he knew if he let that happen again, something bad would happen to them all. RJ wasn't meticulous or tentativelike he was. He was headstrong, reckless, and never thought about the ramifications of his choices and actions, but somehow he was smart enough to get himself and anyone he dragged along with him out of any sticky situation. Still, he was worried. His tail was tingling again, which it hadn't done in a long time, and he doubted it was completely because of RJ... There was just something about how perfect and conveinent everything had been laid out for them that bothered him. Still, he couldn't rain on their parade seeing as it was either follow RJ's crazy scheme to the end or die. Either way, they would probably wind up dead, but at least with RJ's plan, death was an uncertainty.

* * *

_"I love you, Ruby."_

_The male raccoon pressed his nose to hers and they embraced. She was safe here in his arms, inhaling the wonderful aroma of his fur and feeling his heart beat in tune to hers. There was no place she'd rather be than here. She wanted to raise a family with him and live in peace and harmony and never have to worry about the queen and her wolves or Tristan ever again. All she needed was him. Her life could be everything she had ever wanted it to be as long as he was by her side._

_"I love you too, Aiden."_

_Something sticky and wet formed on her paws and she broke away from Aiden, fearfully pulling her own paws towards her and seeing them covered with dark blood. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out. She forced herself to look up, afraid of seeing what had become of her beloved but only found herself staring at the bloodstained muzzle of a vicious wolf. To add even more horror to the image, a thick, bushy raccoon's tail dangled from the wolf's jaws, revealing what Ruby feared as the worst possible scenario._

_"You killed him, Ruby," the wolf snarled, spitting the blood-stained tail out at her feet. "You killed him."_

_Only then did she find the strength to scream.

* * *

_

Ruby screamed for several minutes before she realized that she was back in her burrow in the hollow of an oak tree which she shared with her best friend, a turtle named Velma. She swallowed hard, gasping for breath and then stared at her paws, noting that there was no blood on them... At least no literal blood. She clutched her paws to her chest and whimpered softly, unable to shake away the horrible nightmare. It was a nightmare that had come for her many nights, but even so she never expected it. She would believe for that one second that she had her beloved Aiden in her arms again, and then she would be forced to remember the painful truth of what had happened to him.

_You killed him, Ruby._

"Aiden," she whispered. "Oh Aiden."

"Ruby?" Velma's voice met her ears. "You okay, sweetie?"

"I-I'm fine, Vel," she said quickly, trying to force herself to stop shaking.

The female turtle looked at her with knowing reptilian green eyes. "Liar."

Ruby glared at her sardonically. "It's nothing."

"A nothing named Aiden," Velma said, her expression grave and sympathetic. Ruby quickly looked away from her. "How long's it been?"

"A year and three months," Ruby replied. "Feels like longer."

"I imagine Sadie feels the same way about Bert."

_And Sara will soon feel the same way about Harold, _Ruby added bitterly in her thoughts.

"What do you think happened to them?" Velma asked nonchalantly. Ruby winced at the question. Not even her best friend knew her darkest secret. The reason why Sara and Sadie were husbandless now was because she led them to their deaths, and the reason why the love of her life was no longer with her was because the queen forced her hand in order to prove her loyalty to her. Many others had vanished by her doing as well, and they were no less talked about than Bert and Aiden. She always hated it when the talks started, especially when she had to face the families of those she had practically killed if that's the way one wanted to look at it. Sadie was the hardest one to deal with, because she was firmly convinced that Bert was going to waltz back into the valley one day and no one had the heart to tell her otherwise. Some even agreed with her.

"I don't know," Ruby finally replied. "I guess they're dead."

"Yeah," Velma agreed. "I think so too. Though I guess we all can't pin our hopes to the same star Sadie pins hers too. That little opossum has a lot of faith. I suppose we should all be so lucky to have her kind of hope."

Velma may not have known about Ruby's secret, but sometimes the raccoon believed she did due to all the subtle hints she dropped in casual conversation with her friend, but it was probably just the inevitable paranoia speaking. No one had any real clue what was going on with her... All they knew was that she was a lonely little raccoon who was haunted by nightmares of her vanished lover. A lover who never really vanished. Ruby shook away the real memory of that fateful night, knowing that it would only make everything hurt that much worse. Aiden was dead, Bert was dead, Harold was dead. They all were dead and there was nothing anyone could do about it. All Ruby could do was suck it up and pretend it didn't happen until the next time she was called on to bring another one of her friends to the queen's lair.

Velma suddenly stuck her head out of the hollow just as a cool breeze blustered by. "Hey, look, the winds are changing," she said. "Come here, Ruby."

The raccoon did as she was told, poking her head out just above Velma's. The breeze ruffled her fur and suddenly everything that writhed and toiled inside of her little body vanish completely. It was like the wind was saying to her gently, "It's all going to be okay."

"This feels great."

"Yeah," Velma agreed. "Something's coming, Ruby, and I have a feeling it's going to make everything better around here."

Ruby sighed. "I hope you're right, Vel. I hope you're right."

_(A/N: I crave feedback! Every time you don't review, a cute furry animal loses its home. Think of the animals!)_


	3. Road Trip

**A/N: **For those of you who have reviewed, thank you. You have made me feel much loved. Cookies for all!

**Disclaimer: **The characters used in this story are copyrighted to Dreamworks Pictures, Michael Fry and T. Lewis, and not me. I own this plot, and the characters of Xylia, Tristan, Sadie, Doyle, Amity, Cyril, Dorian, Val, Reginald, Morgan, and various other invented characters. I am making no profit off of this operation. It's just my way of dealing with overactive plot bunnies.

_**Chapter Two- Road Trip**_

The plan moved at a slower pace than RJ would have preferred. For reasons unknown to him, no one was really ready to leave the area for vacation. Signs had already been posted in their woodland, advertising what would soon be more acres of housing development which did not improve anyone's anxieties that there would-be doomed was being broadcasted to them everytime they turned around. What made matters worse was that tomorrow was the last day before everything they knew and loved vanished.

"You'd think if someone was going to begin construction work so close to their homes, they'd want to leave," RJ growled, pacing back and forth in front of the log where Verne was currently resting, having given up on his detailed process of food gathering since it was pointless now.

"What are we going to do if we can't find a family to transport us to this paradise of yours?" The turtle asked, just as annoyed as RJ, although for a completely different reason- RJ was apparently impossible to deal with when his best-laid plans didn't go as planned.

"I don't know," RJ replied, his voice coming out in a slight whine. He cast a baleful look at the nearest sign, waltzed over to it, and the kicked it as hard as he could. This, however, proved to be a bad idea and merely caused him to fall backwards with a yelp, clutching his smarting foot. Verne smacked his forehead. "We're doomed."

A grayish-white ball of fur suddenly burst through the hedge and skidded to a stop in front of the log. It didn't take long for both Verne and RJ to assess that it was Tiger back from prowling the streets, trying to stake out a family on their way out the door and "paradise"-bound. The Persian cat stood at attention and saluted stiffly causing the turtle and the raccoon to roll their eyes at the sight. Old habits died hard, apparently, and Tiger had never quite eased out of the militarial persona he had established for himself while he lived as Gladys's pet cat.

"I have news to report," the thickly-accented Persian said.

"At ease, soldier," RJ replied, standing up and moving towards the cat, who relaxed a little. "What'd you find out?"

"The Johnson family is heading to Silver Springs tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn."

"The Johnson's," RJ tapped his chin. "Three houses down from the Morris family. The one with the overabundance of lawn gnomes in the front lawn and the biggest pool in the neighborhood."

"That is an amazing deduction, RJ," Tiger replied, deeply impressed. "_That _is the exact description of the Johnson house."

"Of course it is, Tiger, my boy," RJ grinned, patting the large cat on the back. "Verne, rally the troops. Tell 'em we set out at dawn tomorrow

* * *

_It had been a long time since he had dreamt like this..._

_He knew it was a dream. It was just one of those things you were aware of cognizantly, but you pushed into the back of your mind and accepted it as it was. You want to accept it as a reality, but your head is screaming its logic and trying to sway what your heart is oh-so willing to declare true. Your head always wins in the end, for to embrace this warmth, this fantasy was to embrace an eternal solitude that one would regret embracing when it was too late. So you let this dream run its course, knowing nothing in it is real, but falling in love with the world it brings you to anyway._

_He didn't have enough dreams like this._

_It was always the same dream. There was a meadow that couldn't possibly exist anywhere in nature being as perfect as it was with its grass just the right length and the flowers giving off a delightful aroma that scented the air in such a way that inhaling it too deeply could make one sleepy and lethargic. If it did, there were nothing to worry about. You could sleep in a bed of flowers and never worry about anything trying to kill you. _

_He wandered this meadow, looking around for someone he knew was there. Confusion lined his brow. When he'd had this dream before, she was always waiting for him here. Where was she?_

_"RJ?"_

_That voice. That sweet, warm, inviting voice. He whirled around to see her behind him- an older, much bigger she-raccoon with the most gentle blue eyes anyone could ever hope to look upon. He stood transfixed, staring at her, a smile breaking out on his face. "Mom!" He suddenly shouted and rushed into her warm embrace, buring his face in the thick white fur of her chest. She held him tightly, stroking the back of his head as only a mother would, nuzzling him sweetly. _

_"RJ!" Squeaks of joy broke up the happy mother-son reunion as three younger she-raccoon kits broke in, jumping on top of RJ and tearing him away from his beloved mother. He didn't mind, however. He laughed and tumbled with the three small kits- his sisters._

_"Rebecca," RJ said, picking one up and spinning her about. He snatched another one up and repeated the twirl with both of them. "Rhonda." He toppled backwards as he was suddenly tackled by the last of the three, who giggled as she perched on his chest. "Rachel," he said, grinning. She giggled more, covering her mouth with her tiny paws._

_"Girls, get off your brother," a male voice that was gruff, yet gentle spoke. The girls squealed in delight and ran in the direction of the voice. RJ craned his neck around and saw his father now standing beside his mother, one of his arms around her neck. The girls settled down near him, suddenly very calm. They all looked at him, their faces warm and inviting like a beautiful family portrait. The only one missing was him..._

_"Come on, RJ!" Rachel said, waving. _

_"Yeah, come on!" Little Rhonda agreed. _

_"Join the family, RJ," his mother called. _

_He stood, taking a tentative step forward. His family beckoned him forward._

_His family..._

_He stopped, reality roughly hitting him in the face as it had never done before. This was merely an illusion. His family was gone... All of them. His mother, his father... Even the little ones. Images pulsated in front of him, superimposed over the image of the five of them together, still calling out to him. Horrible images that he had locked away long ago. Why did they come now? Why did they have to ruin his dream? Why couldn't those vicious memories leave well enough alone and just allow his dreams to be perfect and sweet as they once were?_

_Was he imagining it or was the sky suddenly darker? He fell to his knees, trying hard to force the images away, but they barraged him, forcing him to see each one fly by in his head. Gunshots... Humans yelling... His mother screaming... Dogs barking... His father's growls as he fought off the dogs... Those horrible shrieks of pain... Him running away with the girls... Rachel's pitiful screams... The blood- so much blood!... The noises... Too much noise... The stench... Death... Yes, that was what death smelt like... Too young to understand it at the time... Oh, that noise! ...Rough hands... Human hands... Grabbing him... Cages... Food from a tin bowl... Wire mesh on all sides... Trapped... Helpless... Alone... And the noise wouldn't stop! That horrible, insufferable, noise!_

* * *

He awoke with a start, wanting to scream but realizing that he had been holding his breath in his sleep and needed desperately to expel the air. He panted, the horrible noises still ringing in his ears, and that's when the realization hit him.

The noise wasn't just in his dream.

His family- his new family- had awoken with a start to the noise too and didn't pay any heed to how frightened RJ looked. He was still overpowered by those horrendous images in his dream, made all the more horrendous by the fact that they were the only real thing about any of it.

"What is that?" Heather yelled over the din, clutching her ears. Ozzie looked around madly, searching for a source and finding none. In response to that, he promptly grabbed his chest and keeled over. "Dad! Now is _not_ the time!"

"This is the perfect time, Heather!" Ozzie replied, grabbing his daughter by the arm and pulling her down beside of him. "Now play dead."

"I think she had a point, Ozzie," Verne yelled. He whirled on RJ. "What is that?"

RJ shook away the last painful remmants of his dream and became instantly focused. His ears disntiguished the sound as being something like the noise produced by a...

"Oh no..." He breathed. He wanted to swear, but there were impressionable children present, so he held back the urge with the willpower of a saint. "It's a chainsaw!"

"A what?" Everyone yelled.

RJ moved his hands around, trying to formulate an adequate description. "It's this thing that..." A tree suddenly fell down directly behind him, inches away from his tail. His fur suddenly stood on end and there was a sudden involuntary gasp from everyone. "...Does that!" He added, his voice catching in his throat. He turned his head to see a human in a mask holding the aforementioned chainsaw moving towards another nearby tree, not paying attention to the _cul de sac _and it's stolen goods nor the animals within it, too wrapped up in his own world. RJ calculated the path of the tree the human was working on and realized with a horrible sense of doom that the particular tree in question would be crushing them in a matter of seconds, judging by the efficiency of the machine.

"Run!" He quickly shouted. His family didn't need to be told twice. "Head for the hedge!" He called to their retreating backs. He stood still for a moment, his blue eyes searching for his one prized possession- there! He thrust himself upon his golf bag and began to fill it with anything he could get his paws on that would fit inside of it (and he had an uncanny way of making this fit in that bag), knowing that any second now that tree would fall right on top of him and their little home would be nothing but a pile of twisting, gnarled branches. He grabbed one last item and shoved it inside just in time to hear a painful crack. He spared a glance upward and froze as he saw the tree bearing down on him. His muscles froze inside of him and he realized that this was probably going to be the end for him. At the last moment, he looked away just as he felt something jerk his arm painfully and felt the ground vibrate underneath the weight of the fallen tree. He thought for certain that he was dead and it had just be an incredibly painless experience. Finally, he opened his eyes only to find himself staring at the branches of the tree that had just been about to crush him. He clucthed his chest, burying his claws in his fur and felt his heart beating- a little faster than normal, but still beating. His golf bag was right beside of him, still clutched in one of his paws. He turned to one side and saw Hammy, looking rather proud despite his silly expression.

"You saved me," RJ blinked, a little stunned.

"'Course I did!" Hammy said excitedly. "It's what families do! We look out for each other and stuff!" He grabbed RJ by the paw and began to lead him off. "Now come on!"

RJ rolled his eyes a little as he allowed himself to be lead. Apparently there were a lot more perks to this whole family business than he realized. He'd been so long without one, he'd almost forgotten.

* * *

"Everyone okay?" RJ asked, once he and Hammy came through the hedge into what once was Gladys's backyard, but was now simply a concrete foundation that had yet to have a new house built upon it. (It was definitely an improvement over the smoking crater that had been there, though.) The sounds of the chainsaws could still be heard and the residents of El Rancho Camelot were starting to emerge from their houses, vehemently protesting the racket.

"What just happened, RJ?" Verne said, still a little bit shook up.

"I'm not sure," RJ replied, casting a look behind him at the hedge. "They weren't supposed to start development until Friday, and humans are never on time for anything! I never expected them to be early..."

"Well, the point is we all got out safely," Penny said, hoping to stop a possible disagreement between the two as she consoled her fearfully shaking children.

"And it's about dawn anyway, there," Lou said, agreeing with his wife.

"Well, we couldn't have chosen a better time to leave," Stella said, although her tone of voice betrayed her feelings. The entire family, aside from RJ who hadn't lived there as long, stood in mourning for the last scrap of what they had called home. It was almost like losing a loved one. RJ could sympathize with them. He had lost both his home and his loved ones all at one time, and he had never truly recovered from it. He sighed, forcing his mask, so to speak, back into place so that no one would see his weakness. He needed to be the strong one for all of them. He had to be the one to lead them to their new home. He pulled the brochere out of his bag, now slightly crumpled, and smoothed it out. He looked to the stars, begging whoever ran things up there to get them to their new home safely and make it the paradise that it needed to be.

They camped out in the Johnson family's backyard with RJ staying up to keep an eye on the SUV, waiting for the right moment when loading would commence and they'd have an easy opening to sneak into the trunk, where they would have a nice comfortable ride to Silver Springs. He was discouraged a little by the chainsaw incident, which had proven to be nearly deadly for everyone involved. The horrible noise was still ringing his ear and it wasn't just a memory- those crazy humans were still at it, though the Johnson family lived within a reasonable distance from their old home, and therefore didn't have to put up with as much as the people who lived right on top of it. His keen ears could still pick up the sound of people still protesting the loud noises at this ungodly hour of the morning and yelling clever obscenities. This was somehow a small comfort. The affairs of humans had always amused him for some reason even though he had every reason in the world to be frightened of them.

Or did he?

The human being was a complex creature, which RJ had discovered long ago. How could one species be able to provide so much simple amusement by being so completely farsical and then turn on a dime and become the worst predator any animal could ever imagine? How could they be such idiots and yet still be smart enough to know half a dozen ways to take an animal's life? How can they kill so many and then turn around and save even more? All these questions baffled him, and he figured he'd never know the real answer. All he could do was avoid the humans he considered to be a danger to him and amuse himself with the rest of the species.

He heard the door slam shut and instantly all thoughts vanished but the ones purely associated with his plan. Mr. Johnson had just exited the house, carrying several bags. His SUV had already been backed out of the garage the night before in preperation and now RJ watched as he opened the trunk and tossed the bags inside before returning to the house for more.

"Okay, guys!" The raccoon turned to his family, who stirred reluctantly in their slumber, not quite ready to be woken up again. "Let's move!"

Only Hammy hit the dirt with unrivaled speed for someone who had gotten so little sleep in the night. RJ caught him by the tail before he lunged for the SUV. "Hold on there, Hamstring. Wait just a second." He gestured to the others who were a little slower in lumbering towards RJ. "Not everyone is naturally caffienated."

"Imagine what a world that would be!" Hammy laughed in a mildly eccentric manner. "We'd all be like-" He broke off his own sentence by demonstrating the fact, as he attempted to zip about in several different directions, although he was still hindered by RJ's firm grip on his tail. The raccoon had to hold onto the rain gutter to keep the overzealous squirrel from dragging him along with him.

"I admire your enthusiasm, Hammy, but now's not the best time," RJ said, though good-naturedly. He looked to the rest of the gang and winked. "Okay, let's roll."

They all took off towards the SUV, scrambling to climb inside of the open trunk and helping out those who weren't suited for that sort of climbing. They nestled themselves into a small alcove, coviently hidden by the bags, although it was a tad bit crowded and a little bit uncomfortable with the abundance of porcupine quills in the general area, but everyone made do until Mr. Johnson put the last bag in place and shut the door, enabling them to spread out a little bit.

"Can we go back to sleep now?" Heather asked, yawning.

"Yeah," Ozzie agreed. "Some of us need our beauty sleep, you know."

"Go ahead," RJ said, waving a paw. "I'll keep an eye out on where we're going. He staked himself out a spot where he could peek out out the back window every now and then and still avoid being seen, and settled in, watching his family once again fall off to sleep. He turned his attentions to the window, but before he could even settle into his own thoughts, he felt something touch both his shoulders.

"You know, I'm not really that tired," Verne said.

"Me either," Hammy agreed with one of his trademark stupid grins on his face.

"No sense in you having to sit up alone," the turtle smiled. RJ returned the grin.

"Thanks," he replied.

The Johnsons arrived and piled into the car with their bags, unaware of the stowaways they had with them. The car moved seamlessly out of the driveway and eventually out of El Rancho Camelot. Verne cast one baleful look out the window as the last tree in what was once their home fell to the ground, leaving nothing but a field of destroyed foliage. He settled back down beside RJ, unable to hide his feelings of distress, but he was immediatly comforted by RJ's paw on his shell. To take their mind off of the depressing thoughts that churned within each of their minds, they turned their attention to Hammy who had found a handheld video game in one of the bags and was playing it with the manic energy of a six-year-old with a sugar high- typical Hammy. A few moments later, however, he stopped abruptly, an odd look on his face.

"Uh, guys, I really have to pee..."

* * *

Ruby was awoken to the sounds of someone yelling a name. She groaned and rolled over onto the soft bird feathers that lined her and Velma's hole and tried to go back to sleep, but the yelling was getting louder and suddenly she could discern the name being called.

"Harold!"

She jolted awake, her sapphire eyes shifting back and forth. She grasped her chest, reassuring herself once again that they had no clue that she was with Harold last night. She was careful when she did her job. She was _always _careful.

"Morning, Sunshine!" Velma grinned, poking her head in the hole. "Feeling better?"

Ruby wasn't entirely certain what that meant until she remembered the nightmare she'd had the night before. "Yeah, I'm fine, Velma." The female turtle backed up, allowing her to climb out of the hole and into the morning sunlight that streamed through the canopy. She shielded her eyes against the light and saw Sara the hedgehog, Harold's wife, wandering aimlessly about their small "village" calling Harold's name. Ruby's heart fell, but she tried not to show it.

"What's going on?"

"Harold's missing," Velma replied, matter-of-factly.

"Well, you're awfully calm," Ruby said, a little bit indignantly.

"Someone has to be," the turtle sighed. "It's probably just like the rest of them, and if I freaked out about it, everyone would."

That was the truth. Velma was practically a mother to everyone in their little community. They all looked to her for advice and probably respected her more than they did the queen, herself, although they'd never let it be known to the general public. Their whole society would probably crumble if something should happen to her, and luckily nothing probably would. The queen and her wolves had no taste for reptiles.

"Sara," Velma yelled to the female hedgehog, whose calls were growing more frantic by the minute. She apruptly stopped, turning to Velma.

"Oh, Velma, this is just awful! Harold's gone missing."

"I know, I know, sweetheart," Velma replied, gently patting Sara's paw. Ruby couldn't help but grin at how condescending she sounded. The little female turtle may have been matronly, but she had a very "that's the way the cookie crumbles" sort of outlook on life, and since she had never really known the pain of the loss of someone really close to her, she never could understand how worked up everyone got about death and... Well, the vanishings. (Which, of course, were technically deaths.) She had a very "suck it up, sister, and get over it" attitude, but the only person who'd ever seen it was Ruby. She recalled how hysterical she was after Aiden's death and how her reptilian friend beat her over the head (quite literally) with the logic that "she was still alive and as long as she's still alive, Aiden lives on within her." Normally, that's a thoroughly cheesy thing to say, but when someone's beating you with a switch, you start to believe in it for what it's actually saying. Velma would have never been so blunt with anyone else. It was a sure sign of their friendship that only Ruby saw the real her.

And yet Ruby wouldn't ever allow Velma see the real _her_.

She had thought about telling her friend the truth. Velma could keep secrets and she'd probably understand her reasons for doing the queen's bidding, but everytime she tried to gather up the courage to speak, she always lost her nerve. She was too frightened of losing the one true and honest friend she had in this place. It was just a risk she couldn't take.

Ruby suddenly became aware that a good deal of their community had gathered around, probably having heard Sara's cries. Among them was Reginald, a stiff and somewhat snooty rabbit who lived underneath a nearby rose bush; Val, a busybody skunk; Sara and Harold's three young sons- Prickle, Bristle, and Thorn; and Sadie the widowed opossum in denial, along with her teenaged son, Doyle.

"What's going on, Velma?" Val spoke up, speaking in her slightly annoying nasally drawl.

"Harold's missing," Velma replied just as Sara burst into tears and began to cry on her shell. There was an audible gasp in the crowd as they all began to whisper among themselves. Finally, Reginald spoke up.

"I believe this is a conspiracy!" He shouted, his mottled brown fur bristling. "We've been having members of this community vanish without a trace at an alarming rate. It's not just the well-known members of our society either like Harold, or Bert, or even Aiden." Ruby winced and looked away and the mention of her dead beloved's name, which didn't go unnoticed by Velma as she continued to comfort a now-hysterical Sara. Her confused children looked on, presided over by a very compassionate Doyle who tried to keep their minds off the situation by entertaining them as best he could. "No, it's not just them," Reginald continued. "It's some of the ones who went pretty much unknown to us as well, and they go unmourned to this day."

"Such as?" Someone piped up.

Reginald paused in his dramatics for a moment. "...Randy."

"Randy?"

"Randy.. Or maybe it was Randall... Oh you know... That one-eyed field mouse?"

"His name was Ralph, and he died of old age, Reg'," Val said, rolling her eyes. "He's buried about five feet from your rose bush."

"And we all knew Ralph," Sadie proffered. "He was a nice guy."

Reginald flustered a little and cleared his throat. "Well, what about Samson?"

"I'm still here," a belligerent voice belonging to a rather old mole said.

Reginald sputtered. "Then don't spend so much time underground, you ninny! Come to a community meeting every now and then so we can make sure you're still here!"

The old mole shrugged and then vanished into his hole again, allowing the rabbit to continue. He paced the ground for a moment and then finally threw his paws in the air, realizng that his sense of dramatic undertaking had been seriously undermined and there was way no way he was going to recover it. "Well...There _are_ some of us missing whom we were robbed of the chance to know due to whatever it is that causes this 'vanishing'. I was never even able to meet them and that is the only reason why I can't remember them now."

"Oh, whatever," Val scoffed. "You couldn't tell me the names of half the animals in this circle, you're so far stuck up your own cotton tail."

The rabbit sputtered again. "That's a very unfair observation, Victoria."

"It's Valerie, bunny-boy," Val snot back.

"My mistake... I-I merely mistook you for your twin sister."

"My twin sister's name is Vivian, and she's gone."

"Ha! Another victim of the vanishing!" Reginald waved a paw in the air triumphantly.

"Oh please, Reg', Vivian died of natural causes years ago," Val muttered.

"I actually think he spoke at her funeral," a groundhog named Cliff added.

"No, that was Harold," another mole said.

"Harold!" Sara wailed.

Sadie approached the inconsolable female hedgehog and patted her as best she could given her sharp spines. "There, there, now Sara. How about you come over to my hole and we'll have a nice, quiet chat."

"Actually, Sadie," Velma cut in gently. "I think I can handle Sara, but Ruby," she jerked her head in the she-raccoon's direction, "she's been having nightmares about Aiden again, and I think she could use some feminine support."

"Ohhhh," Sadie breathed, her eyes alight with sympathy. "The poor dear."

Velma jerked her head in Ruby's direction again, and the female opossum headed towards her. Ruby wasn't paying attention, however, so she was genuinely surprised when Sadie gently took her paw.

"Come on. You can have some breakfast at my place and we can talk."

"Really, Sadie, I'm okay."

"Tut-tut," the opossum replied wagging a finger. "Come with me, dear." Seeing no other choice, Ruby allowed herself to be lead away towards Sadie's home inside of a slightly bigger tree which she shared with her son, who was apparently otherwise occupied with Prickle, Bristle, and Thorn, and wouldn't be joining the two females.

The interior of Sadie's home was cozy and comfortable with spaces hollowed out for food storage so that it didn't interfere with her family's bedding area and was easy to get to during hibernation. Not that there was really ever all that much food, but somehow they survived with what little Tristan and the wolves brought. Sadie pulled something wrapped in a leaf down from one of her little "cubby holes" and offered it up to Ruby. Gingerly, Ruby pulled back the leaf to reveal three small cookies, apparently stolen during one of Tristan's campground heists weeks ago.

"I've been saving them up for a special occasion," Sadie smiled. "I was saving one for Bert, but I doubt he'll mind if you take it." She waved the cookie-filled leaf at Ruby. "So go on, take one."

Ruby felt awkward in this situation. She wanted to scream at Sadie not to offer up to _her_ the cookie she was saving for a husband who would never return because _she_ lead him to his doom. She wanted to run away and hide somewhere and just die so that she could leave this world and the horrible things she had to do in it behind. But she knew she couldn't do that. If death came so easy for her she would never have sworn to do the queen's bidding years ago, and she would have died by her hands then and there, and never would have lived to do the horrible things she'd wound up doing.

She pushed the cookie away. "Keep it, please," she said softly, knowing how rude it was to refuse such a precious gift. Food was so scarce for them that for someone to offer up something they had saved to a friend was a great honor, and refusing it, a huge insult. Sadie, however, took no offense. She folded the cookies back into the leaf and set it gently back into its hiding place. She then took Ruby's paws in hers and looked deep into her eyes with that fearfully sympathetic look that said, "I know what you're going through." And Ruby had to fight the urge that rose like bile in her throat to scream, "No, you don't." This wasn't simply a poor she-raccoon mourning a lost love. This was a poor she-raccoon paying for her sins every second of her life, especially whenever she had to look into the eyes of those left behind after she'd delivered someone they loved to the queen.

They didn't see a selfish killer in her eyes. They only saw the loss. The loss of Aiden. The loss of her family.

The loss of her innocence.

They saw a soul within her, and she believed that part of her died a long time ago.

She couldn't take this any longer. She couldn't be here in this family home, holding onto Sadie's hand. She couldn't listen to this widow-in-denial go on and on about how her beloved was going to come home one day, with Aiden at his side, and all those other silly delusions that came into the she-opossum's little head. Ruby pulled her paws away from Sadie and vanished out of the hole without another word.

After that, she just ran as fast and as far as she could go, hoping and praying that no one followed her.

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"For the five hundreth time, Hammy, no..."

There was a long moment of silence, instantly shattered by Hammy piping up again.

"Are we there yet."

"Hammy!" RJ growled, rapidly starting to lose patience. He took a moment to regain his composure lest he finally snap and pummel the little squirrel about the head with his golf bag, which he desperately didn't want to have to resort to. "It is a well known fact that the more someone asks that question, the longer it takes to get to the destination."

Hammy's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Yes, really," RJ replied, nodding sarcastically.

Hammy took a moment to process this. "So does that mean..."

"That if you hadn't been asking us 'are we there yet' every four seconds, we could have been there by now? Exactly."

Hammy slumped the floor, looking mildly puzzled. "Wow..."

The cabin fever was starting to take its toll on the moods of the family and only Hammy seemed to be retaining his good spirits, but in his defense, it did take quite a lot to bring him down to a disagreeable level. Everyone else was huddled together, sharing stories and trying to avoid the subject of how absolutely miserible they all were. RJ had obliged to sit the story hour out upon realizing that they were simply reminising about the past, and he knew if he sat and listened, he'd be obligated to tell his own life story, seeing as none of them really had a clue where he'd come from and were probably thoroughly curious. It was a subject that he dared not be obligated to have to bring up, so he was better off on the outside looking in when it came to their little story hour. Hammy, much to RJ's chagrin now, had agreed to stay with the raccoon and keep him company during this time.

In the backseat of the SUV, sounds of a struggle could be heard, taking RJ away from the issues at hand. The two Johnson children- a sixteen-year-old boy and a thirteen-year-old girl- seemed to be having some sort of dispute, providing a nice, meaningless distraction for the raccoon. The affairs of the ingnorant majority of humanity never ceased to amuse him.

"Mom! Taylor's touching me!" The girl shrieked.

"I am not. You're on my side, shorty!"

"I'm not short!"

"OW! Mom! Did you see that? Catherine just hit me!"

"Wuss!"

"Shut up!"

"Kids! Enough! Don't make your father turn this car around."

Hammy tapped RJ's shoulder, cocking his head in confusion. "What's all that about, huh?"

"That, my dear Hamilton, is how human siblings show affection."

"Ohhhhh," Hammy breathed, as if realizing some sort of epiphany. "Humans are weird."

"That they are," RJ agreed.

There was a chorus of giggles from the huddle on the far side of the trunk and RJ and Hammy looked that way to see Ozzie was starting to engage in telling a story in such a highly theatrical way, it would give Shakespeare pause.

"Oooh!" Hammy squealed, bouncing, just as Ozzie began the introduction to his tale. "I know this story! It's my favorite!" He raced over to the circle and squeezed in between Heather and Stella. RJ discreetly drew closer so that he could hear and see better, but still remained outside of the circle. It became apparent that, behind all the cheap theatrics which seemed to actually work for this story, Ozzie was a very gifted storyteller and everyone hung on his every word even though it was obvious that they'd heard this story many times before.

"It was one of those spring days where everything is in bloom and the air is so thick with the aroma of new floral life that you can't smell anything else. Naturally, as I was wandering through the forest, taking in this spectacular day, I wouldn't have been able to smell another animal if they were right on top of me. That's how I met Iris. We ran into each other- quite literally- on the path and we were both so startled that we instantly just dropped dead. We were like that for a few moments, both still and silent, until finally- at the exact same time- we sat up and our eyes met. It was like a bolt of lightning had sparked between us in that one instant. It was destiny!"

"That's so romantic," Stella breathed, resting her head on Tiger's shoulder.

"And then you got married and had me," Heather added, her eyes vacant and dreamy. Ozzie touched her shoulder gently.

"Yes," he smiled. "It was one of the happiest days of my life... _Our _life. Iris always said that you and I were the best things that ever happened to her." There was a moment of mournful silence, and RJ realized that Ozzie must have lost his wife at some point in his life, seeing as she was no longer with the group. It seemed so strange to him that he could talk about her memory so casually as if she wasn't really gone. He'd never be able to do that. It caused him pain to even think about his family, much less talk about them. He feared the day when someone would get wise and finally ask him, because he wasn't sure what he would do in that situation. Risk the pain and tell all or just brush the question off and speak no more of it? If only it were so easy...

He owed them the truth about his past. It wasn't like it was anything that made him out to be any worse an animal than anyone was already aware of him being. If anything, it might give reasons for his past actions. Still, he had never discussed it with anyone. Then again, he'd never allowed anyone to become close enough to him to discuss it with.

Hammy suddenly burst into hysterical tears, once again freeing RJ from his internal solitude, much to his immediate relief. "That's so beautiful," he sobbed in such a manner that it was actually comical to watch. It lightened the mood again in an instant, making the atmosphere much more agreeable.

The SUV made a hard turn that caused the animals to lose their balance briefly and by the time they finally regained it again, the vehicle had stopped. RJ risked a look out the back window and saw a sign not far away advertising that they were mere miles from the Silver Springs campground and were apparently at some sort of checking station.

"Okay, guys, now would be the opportune moment to make our getaway," the raccoon spoke up.

The Johnson kids suddenly opened their doors and burst outside in a flurry of manic energy. Their mother harriedly called after them, "Don't wander too far. You're dad'll be back in a minute." The kids, however, paid her no heed and ran about the parking lot like hooligans, leaving their doors wide open.

"I love kids, they always make this so much easier on me," RJ smirked, flattening himself to the ground so that he could crawl underneath the back seat in order to get to the open doors, dragging his bag with him carefully. The rest of his family got the picture and followed him. Moments later, they had reconvened underneath the SUV, and not a human in the area was the wiser.

"Now which way, RJ? Huh? Huh? Which way?" Hammy zipped excitedly around underneath the car. They had been cooped up inside that vehicle for so long that no one could blame him for being so excited about being free.

RJ poked his head out from underneath the car, scanning the area and finding exactly what he was looking for- a wooded area that lay, unfotunately, across a highway. Luckily, it wasn't a particularly busy one as far as he could see, so he hoped luck would hold out and it wouldn't be all that dangerous for them to cross, even though he'd learned from experience that darkness and highways don't always mesh well for animals on a mission, but he had to keep hoping for the best.

"Follow me," he said, gesturing for his family to follow him. Without question, they obeyed, all of them assuming blindly (with the exception of Verne, who was always a little bit skeptical) that RJ knew what he was doing. Their mad dash lead to them to the edge of a long stretch of highway and beyond that was a forest blocked off by only a guardrail.

"Guys," RJ said, facing his merry team, "there is now nothing but ten feet of asphalt and several feet of steel seperating us from our new home."

"Whoo-hoo!" Hammy cheered and attempted to run across the road, but once again RJ grabbed him by the tail before he could complete his lunge.

"Hold it," the raccoon said. "Excellent energy as usual, Hammy, but there's something you need to know about that thing you're about to run across." He addressed everyone else as well as the hyperactive squirrel at this point. "This is called a highway. Alone it is perfectly safe, but teamed with a human car it is one of the most deadly devices ever created by humanity. You see, in Suburbia cars move at a slower pace and you can easily avoid them if you're careful. But at night, those same cars become violent, speeding, predators on the highway." RJ pulled his golf club out of his bag to further emphasize the point he was trying to make. "Unlike us, human beings can't see in the dark so when they're out riding in their cars at night, they have to rely on devices on said cars called headlights. Here lies the danger. These headlights have hypnotic properties and if you're crossing the road when one of those babies hits your line of sight, you aren't going anywhere, and if you're not careful... Well..." He slammed his golf club hard on the ground, causing everyone watching to flinch. "I'll let you fill in the gory details. The best thing to do if this happens is drop down and keep out of the way of the tires, and you'll remain in one piece. Any questions?"

"So... How likely are we to run into these headlights?" Verne asked.

RJ shrugged nonchalantly. "Slim to none."

At that moment, a car sped by, whipping RJ's fur in the breeze and nearly causing him to topple over sideways. There was a collective gasp from the rest of the group. "That was the slim part," he said reassuringly, though no one was very convinced. "We'll all go one at a time so there's less of a chance of any of us dying out there, okay?" Apparently everyone was still a little stunned, so the raccoon went on. "Okay... Uh, Hammy will go-"

The squirrel suddenly zipped past him and a second later, his voice called out from across the road. "Made it!"

"Ooookay," RJ said. "Nice work, Hammy. Who's next?"

There was a quick exchange of looks and Lou stepped up. Penny grabbed his paw nervously. "Lou..."

"Someone's gotta go there, Pen," Lou said, gently patting the paw that clutched his.

"Be careful now," Penny said, anxiety showing in her eyes.

"You couldn't have been any less violent in your description of the danger that now surrounds us, could you?" Verne asked RJ as Lou scampered across the road nervously, arriving moments later on the other side along with Hammy. Penny and the kids went across next.

"They need to know," RJ replied, watching as the female porcupine and her children reunited with her husband on the other side. "I could have been much more violent in describing it than that, though. You wouldn't believe the things I've seen splattered-"

"Okay," Verne said, paling. "I really don't need to know."

"Of course you don't," RJ chuckled, patting Verne on the shell. He turned to the remainder of the group. "Who wants to go next?"

Tiger took Stella's paws in his. "I shall go, my love, but know this! If I die out there, remember me for my love and passion and not for my unspeakably good looks... Although, if it's not too much to ask, please do remember me for that too."

Stella rolled her brown eyes and started to tug Tiger in the general direction of the road. "Come on, lover boy, we'll go together."

RJ breathed a deep sigh of relief. Thankfully, this particular stretch of highway was just as dead as he had hoped at this hour of night. "So far so good," he breathed. "Ozzie, Heather, you're both up."

"Go on ahead, Heather," Ozzie said gently, giving his daughter a small push. "Remember..."

"I know, Dad," she smiled weakly. "If there's danger, play dead."

"That's my girl," Ozzie beamed and gave her another push. She looked around tentatively and then rushed across as fast as she could, stumbling slightly and landing in Stella's arms. Ozzie stepped up closer to the side of the road and started to stretch in a highly over-dramatic fashion, which was common for him to do in such a predicament. He shook his paws and loosened up before calling out to his daughter.

"Good job, Heather," he yelled. "Nothing to worry about at all."

Verne turned to RJ, and muttered under his breath, "So far."

"You have to trust me, Verne," his raccoon friend shrugged.

"I trust you," the turtle replied. "I just don't trust this situation."

"What do you mean?" RJ asked, consciously aware that Ozzie was about to make his way across the road.

"Something doesn't feel right."

"Your tail tingling again?" There was a hint of sarcasm in the small raccoon's voice, but Verne didn't catch it.

"Yes, actually..."

RJ opened his mouth to reply to that but the next sequence of events prevented him from speaking. It happened so quickly that the raccoon wasn't entirely certain what had really transpired. All he could say was that Heather's scream tore him away from his conversation just in time for him to whirl around and see a pair of headlights boring down on Ozzie, who, just as RJ had predicted, had frozen in terror. The car was bearing down on him at breakneck speed, but it felt like everything was in slow motion. At the last moment, Ozzie fell backwards and the car passed over him, moving onward on its path to whatever destination it was going, uncaring about the life it may have taken in the process.

A hush fell over the group and RJ and Verne rushed onto the road, not caring about the danger as they were too worried about their fallen friend. RJ was only vaugely aware that he was muttering, "please just be playing dead," under his breath as he hovered over the opossum's still body. The seconds ticked by forever as they waited for some sign of movement. Heather, overcome with emotion, suddenly ran out onto the road as well, despite Stella's yells of protest.

"Dad!" She shouted, pushing past RJ and Verne. She buried her face in her father's chest for comfort and possibly in hopes of feeling a heartbeat. "Oh Dad..."

"Heather, it's not safe," Verne said absent-mindedly.

"He's right," a muffled voice said and it took a few moments for the three animals to realize it was Ozzie who had spoken. Heather jumped up in shock, allowing her father to sit up suddenly.

RJ clutched his heart, breathing deeply. "Geez, Oz-man, you get any more convincing and you're gonna kill me one of these days."

"You scared us pretty bad, Dad," Heather said, forcing a small grin.

"Badly, Heather. Badly," Ozzie corrected, standing up and dusting himself off. "Shock is no excuse for improper grammar."

Heather responded to this by hugging her father tightly about the waist suddenly, and he returned the embrace. "I'm glad you're safe, Dad."

"Don't worry about your old man, sweetheart. He knows what he's doing," Ozzie replied gently.

"This is very touching. I have tears," RJ said, unable to hide a trace of condescending anxiety. "But we really need to get across the road _now_."

No one protested to this request and as they made their way across the road, still mildly shaken up by yet another near-death experience. RJ was starting to wonder if maybe Verne was right in having a bad feeling about this. Still, it was going to be all over soon. They were almost to their destination and their new home, and then everything would be better.

Or at least he hoped it would be. Apparently Verne's naturally tentative personality was starting to rub off on him. Now he was starting to get a bad feeling about this whole situation as well. That feeling increased as he stared down into the sloping valley that lead away from the road and into the forest.

He shoved the thoughts away. At least, unlike Verne, he had a natural gift to push anything he didn't want to think about out of his mind.

"Let's keep going, guys," RJ sp0ke up, his voice steady as he tried to salvage a shred of leadership quality that existed somewhere within him. They needed that side of him to come out now more than ever. The cocky-grinned, devil-may-care attitude of a a guy who relied on his charm to get him out of everything, and not sheer leadership capibility had to go... For a little while, at least. Right now, they just needed to know that he was leading them somewhere safe and wasn't just winging it, hoping they wound up where he had intended them to go.

_Okay, RJ, _he thought to himself, _if ever there was a time you needed to prove yourself a decent leader, it's now._

* * *

Ruby had been out wandering aimlessly since dawn and had yet to return home. She imagined Sadie was probably worrying Velma to death, believing honestly that she had somehow done something to upset her, and, therefore, caused her to run away. Sadie had a horrible penchant for worrying about trivial things, though oddly enough she never worried about the big things.

_Like her missing/dead husband..._

The little raccoon shook the thought away. She didn't need to think about that. She had come out here in order to free her mind from these thoughts and get her act together once again. It was a ritual she performed often, and she hated that she always sunk so low as to need a walk alone in the woods to get herself back into the right frame of mind so no one suspected that something was wrong with her besides the obvious. Sometimes she wondered if her life would be easier if she actually did stop caring as Xylia said, and just embraced her cruel fate.

_Soon it won't hurt as much..._

Could she really make all the pain go away?

She clutched painfully at the large tuft of gray fur on the top of her head. "No, no, _no," _she whispered. "I'm not like Tristan. I won't become like him!"

She suddenly became aware of a noise in the bushes and she ducked behind a tree to spy on whoever was coming. Looking up, she saw the red marker wrapped around the trunk that marked all the trees that lay around the boundary of the queen's lands. Any living thing that went past those markers from the outside was subject to the queen's rules, and anyone on the inside who went outside them without permission was subject to severe punishment. Most newcomers, however, never made it past the markers if they came this way towards the valley. The wolves usually got them.

Apparently, however, the wolves weren't hungry tonight, which she realized upon seeing a large group of mismatched animals emerging from the bushes, looking bedraggled. Among them was a skunk, a large house cat, a family of porcupines, two opossums, a turtle, a squirrel, and...

Her heart stopped as she saw the creature that led the odd little bunch. It was a male raccoon who beared a passing resemblence to her Aiden. He had the same brownish-colored fur that stood out compared to the normal gray and white color scheme of a raccoon, but the more she stared the less he resembled her lost love. He was too short and had an air of cocky arrogance that wasn't like Aiden at all. Still, she was captivated by this newcomer and continued to stare at him even when his group stopped to examine the markers on the trees. Only then did she realize the danger this motely band was in. She was about to run into the clearing and beg them to turn back and stay away from the marked trees and lead them somewhere safe, but something grabbed her shoulders and yanked her into a nearby bush. It only took a second for her to realize that it was Tristan, and she glowered at the red fox with disdain in her sapphire eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She snapped.

"Keeping tabs on you, Ms. Ambassador," Tristan replied in his casual, cold southern drawl. "You weren't about to interfere with a few more choice menu items entering the queen's valley, were you?"

"Don't use that term of phrase, Tristan. You know I don't like it when you think of us like that."

"What's this 'us' you speak of?" The fox snickered. "I was under the impression that you weren't one of those valley bums at all." When Ruby didn't reply, he stuck his face out of the bush and studied the small band. The male raccoon was trying to explain what the red markers meant and Tristan could tell he didn't have a clue what he was talking about, but was trying his best to pretend he did.

"Oh dear... So much like Aiden, that one is. Wouldn't you agree?"

"No," Ruby said. "He's nothing like Aiden."

"No, you're right. He's too short," Tristan flashed her one of his crocodile grins. "So shall we invite them to our little valley?"

"What's this 'our' you speak of," Ruby said dryly. "It's no more your valley than it is mine."

"So saucy... I love that in a woman," Tristan ran his tail under her chin in a motion that probably would have driven any other female wild, but only caused Ruby to scowl darkly at him.

"Do you have a particular reason for being a jerk or does it just come inadvertantly?"

"'Fraid I was born that way, pumpkin," Tristan laughed, moving out of the bush. "I think you owe our new friends a proper greeting, my dear. They're just about to overstep the boundary."

Ruby followed him out of the bush just in time to see the group of animals move past the marked trees and take their first steps onto the queen's land. She cursed Tristan under her breath and looked around for him so that she could possibly throw something at him, but the fox was already gone. She groaned in anguish and rushed forward, climbing up into a tree that was right in the path of the newcomers. She knew what she had to do now, and there was no use crying over spilled milk. As usual, she'd do what she had to do and do it right.

She had managed over the years to develop a great sense of dramatic timing and she counted the second until what she knew would be the best time to jump, and did so, landing deftly right in front of the male raccoon. The animals froze in her prescence, gasping in surprise.

"Welcome," she said, dryly. "You have just entered the valley of the honorable Queen Xylia."

* * *

_(A/N: Sadly, this chapter did NOT want to write itself. ;; Sorry for the utter crappiness and the really bad ending. I'll do better next time. The Hedgies and the valley animals shall integrate! Yay! Not to mention, Ruby and RJ have their first encounter! I'm feeling some _Moonlighting _vibes coming your way. Tee-hee..._

_As a special gift to my- at the moment- few faithful reviewers, I'd like to give you a cast list so you, the reader, can the hear the same voices I hear in my head when I write my characters. I think casting OC's is an integral part of the writing process, because knowing what actor is playing what character helps me write the character better. I know being such a big fan of Bruce Willis definitely helps me write RJ better. But I'm rambling... Onto the list!_

**Ruby: **Kirstie Alley  
**Velma: **Katey Sagall  
**Xylia: **Tilda Swinton  
**Tristan: **Nathan Fillion  
**Sadie: **Reese Witherspoon  
**Doyle: **Matthew Lilliard  
**Valerie "Val": **Fran Drescher  
**Reginald: **John Lithgow  
**Bianca: **Emilie De Ravin  
**Sammy: **Will Ferrell  
**Dorian: **Andy Dick  
**Amity: **Catherine Zeta-Jones  
**Cyril: **Steve Buscemi  
**Morgan: **Eliza Dushku

_That's it... Though I'm constantly figuring out new characters to add into the mix, so that's subject to change later. Anyway, that's about it for right now. Enjoy this chapter and please review!)_


	4. Utopia

**Disclaimer: **_See previous chapters.._

_**Chapter Three- Utopia**_

RJ was struck dumb by the sudden appearance of this beautiful she-raccoon. She was built small with the mottled gray and black coat of a traditional raccoon. Her eyes were a sapphire blue and a large tuft of gray fur adorned the top of her head and was naturally styled in an alluring manner, falling just barely over her left eye. There was no feminine vulnerability about her that RJ had become so accustumed to when dealing the female of his species, and she seemed to exude the same kind of attitude that Stella prided herself on. For a moment, he just stared, not really hearing the words she'd just said, and only hearing, instead, the alto warbling of her voice.

Verne finally broke the silence. "Queen Xylia?"

The she-raccoon looked mildly puzzled. "Surely you've heard of Queen Xylia?"

"I didn't even know there was a monarchy anywhere in this confounded country," Tiger murmered aprehensively. "This is an odd development."

"You're tellin' me," Stella said. "I ain't never heard of no queen anything."

The she-raccoon gently massaged her temples. "Perfect. You're even more outsiders than I realized."

"Outsiders?" Verne said, rather indignantly. "Our home was destroyed and we came here hoping to find a new one, and this wasn't the welcome I was expecting, thank you very much. If you had even the slightest-"

"Verne," RJ said, finally shaking himself out of his stupor. "Let me handle this." He licked his palms and lasviciously smoothed back the fur on the top of his head, failing to note the look of aggravation on the she-raccoon's face. "I think we're getting off to a bad start. You see my friends and I are in the process of relocating the old homestead, and we were just looking for a nice little place near the campgrounds." He placed an arm around her shoulders. "So, my little moon pie, if you'd be so kind as to lead us in the direction of those aforementioned campgrounds, we'd be ever-so happy."

The she-raccoon removed RJ's paw from her shoulder with a hint of disgust. "First of all, I am no one's _moon pie_, least of all yours. Second of all, I can't fufill your little request because that's impossible."

"What? You don't know the way?" RJ said, mildly amused.

"No, I _know _the way," the female raccoon growled, obviously not enjoying RJ's overly flirtatious attitude towards her. "But you don't understand the situation you've found yourselves in. You're in the queen's territory now, and you have to abide by her laws. Her laws clearly state that once you pass those markers," she pointed to the red markers on the trees behind them, "you are forever bound to the queen's lands."

"You told us those were to make the trees more attractive," Verne narrowed his eyes at RJ, who was starting to get that same look on his face that he got whenever his conscience started to assert itself on him by outside means. Apparently, that expression could also mean that his ego had just been seriously undermined, which was the apparent cause for such a look.

"I-I-I," RJ sputtered. "I can be wrong sometimes, can't I?"

"So now what do we do?" Heather asked, a smidge of worry lining her words.

"You stay here and live in our community," the female raccoon said, suddenly sounding very congenial and friendly. "It's safe here and there's plenty of room for all of you. The queen keeps all the predators away so there's no danger anywhere as long as you never leave the boundaries."

"Are you serious?" Verne said. "That's almost too good to be true."

"It usually is," RJ said darkly, still nursing an obviously bruised ego. "If we're not allowed out of the boundaries, what do we do for food?"

"We have foragers who are allowed outside. They raid the campgrounds and bring us food. The queen also has private gardens and rations out food gathered there for us. They even bring extra food for the winter months, so you'll never have to forage again."

"Jeepers," Penny squeaked in happiness.

"I'm starting to like this place," Ozzie piped up. "Verne, we've got to stay here."

"Wait a second," Verne said. "Look, Miss..."

"Ruby," the she-raccoon cut in.

"Ruby, I think you've got a great thing going here and all, but surely there has to be something more to it? This queen of yours... What's she getting 0ut of this?"

"The joy of helping animals less fortunate," Ruby replied, matter-of-factly. "As her ambassador, I speak for her in our community and make sure she knows the pleas of all of her subjects. The system here has run smoothly for years, and I'm sure you'll enjoy living here."

"I think I preferred the suburbs," RJ muttered glumly. Obviously the thought of not getting to steal food himself was getting to him.

"The suburbs, huh?" Ruby said with a small smirk. "I thought as much." She turned to the other animals and smiled warmly. "I assure you that without the threat of predators, you'll be able to live much happier lives, despite not getting to spend your nights raiding garbage gans like common tramps."

"Hey!" RJ snapped.

"Look, RJ, I think she has a point," Verne proffered before a fight could break out. "We're better off staying here. Who knows? It could be fun, and it has been awhile since we've interacted with other animals."

"But we're still gonna be a family, right Uncle Verne?" Quillo piped up. His two brothers shared his sentiments, judging by the looks in their eyes.

"Why of course we are," Verne said sincerely. "Moving to a new place won't change that."

"Then it's settled then," Ruby said sweetly.

"As if we had a choice," RJ muttered. Ruby shot him a dark look, but it vanished instantly as she turned back to the others.

"Perfect," she said. "Now, I suggest you find a spot in this general area to sleep. It doesn't matter where. You'll be safe, I promise. I'll bring you to the valley in the morning and let you meet everyone."

"Sleep. Now _that _sounds like a good idea," Ozzie said, yawning and stretching.

"I'm with you there, Ozzie," Lou agreed.

One by one the family found themselves comfortable places to sleep in the underbrushnear the trees and drifted off once again, finally able to sleep uninterrupted. RJ pretended to curl up in a tree overlooking his slumbering family, but in reality he kept one eye on Ruby who watched them for a few moments and then started to wander off 0n her own. Intrigued, RJ followed her. It only took her a moment to realize that he was behind her, and she whirled on him. The male raccoon made a futile attempt to look innocent as she stared him down. "What are you doing?"

"I'm a nocturnal creature," RJ shrugged. "I just thought I'd get a good look at the place that's going to be my new home forever and ever, amen."

"I told you I'd show you around in the morning," Ruby said, rolling her eyes.

"What can I say? I have no patience." He gave her one of his best "steely blue-eyed" looks that was meant to drive females wild, as well as charm his way into and out of just about anything. Maybe she had insulted him several times this night, but he wasn't one to give up a fight when it came to stealing hearts. She was a tough one, which made her all the more fun to pursue. However, she wouldn't bite. She simply scoffed and stalked off. Just when she thought she'd lost him, however, he appeared right in front of her, startling her significantly.

"What's the rush, beautiful?" He winked. She growled and pushed past him, but, like magic, he was right in front of her again. "I'm starting to get the feeling that you're trying to get rid of me."

"Maybe because I am," she spat. She took a deep breath and then started speaking again. "Look can't you take a hint? I don't go for males like you. You're the kind of guy who's looking for Marian the Librarian, and I'm just not her. The sleazy con man act doesn't do anything for me, frankly. Furthermore, I can already tell that you have the morals of rabbit, the character of a slug, and the brain of a platypus."

RJ stood dumbfounded in the wake of her rant. "The morals... Of a rabbit?"

"Yes," Ruby snapped, andthen attemptedto walk off again. RJ didn't bother to move in front of her this time. He just grabbed her by the arm before she could get too far. She paused briefly and then turned her head towards him, her eyes threatening heinous murder down to their very core.

"Unhand me," she said darkly.

"Well, I'll try but I don't think they'll come off," RJ smirked. Ruby jerked her arm out of his grip and made a noise of frustration. "I think we've somehow gotten off on the wrong foot."

"Really? You think?" The female raccoon snapped.

"Yes, so I think we should start over," RJ extended his paw to her. "I'm RJ."

She stared at him for a moment, sighed, and then took his paw and shook it. "I'm Ruby."

"There. Isn't that better?"

"No. I still don't like you."

RJ threw his paws up in the air. "Lady, can you cut me some slack here? Was that hospitable act just a front or do you just treat every male of your species like a rat?"

"Not all of them," she said. There was an edge of pain to her voice that made RJ pause. Obviously he had hit a nerve somewhere, and he regretted it a little. He rubbed the back of his head and sighed.

"Okay, fine. I'm going to go now. I'm just going to get out of your fur, and go my merry way. See you in the morning, Luby."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "It's Ruby, you jerk."

"Ruby, Luby... Close enough," RJ shrugged with a small smirk.

"Go away... And wipe that stupid grin off your face," she snapped.

"This is the smartest grin I know," RJ chuckled before heading back towards his family.

Her muscles tensed up as she snarled furiously. "Well... I think your bag is stupid!" She shouted, and then realized how ridiculous that sounded and rolled her eyes, watching RJ until he was completely out of sight. Only then did she proceed to kick a nearby tree multiple times in frustration, growling the entire time. "I've never met anyone so infuriating in my life!"

"He's even more infuriating than I am?" Tristan's all-too familiar voice spoke up. Ruby snarled and picked up a rock in the path and flung in the direction the voice was coming from. Tristan, however, caught it with one deft motion of his paws. He tossed it in the air and chuckled. "You missed."

"Don't you have anything better to do tonight than bother me?" Ruby growled furiously.

"Well I did, and then I saw how well you and the little ring-tailed vagabond were getting on, and had to stick around and watch the festivities. So tell me, my dearest, do you really dislike him or are you just trying to keep him emotionally distant so he doesn't wind up like Aiden?"

"It's none of your business," Ruby scowled. "But if you must know, I don't like him."

"You only just met him a few minutes ago," Tristan smirked. "You can't judge someone that quickly."

"Why not? I knew I hated you the moment I met you," Ruby muttered.

"Awww," Tristan feigned a dramatic faint onto his back, running a paw over his eyes. "And here I thought we were friends."

"If you ever once believed that, you're an idiot as well as a jerk," Ruby muttered. She moved past him and he instantly got back on his feet, trotting beside her on the path.

"Where are you headed?"

"To tell the queen about these newcomers," she replied and then added, "As if it's any of your business."

"Oh, that sounds like fun," Tristan smiled, his eyes sparkling deviously. "Maybe you should go ahead and feed your new friend to the queen and save yourself the heartbreak when you actually do fall for his devilish charms, and the queen decides she wants you to prove your loyalty to her by handing him. Just... Like... Aiden."

Ruby suddenly grabbed Tristan by the fur of his throat and pulled his face so that the two of them were nose to nose. She wasn't all that strong for a raccoon, but Tristan was particularly weak for a fox which made it all that easier to threaten him when he got unreasonably annoying. "Knock it off, Tristan."

"How many times have you gotten in this position with me, Rubes?" The fox said, his expression suddenly darker than she'd ever seen it. "You have the perfect opportunity to kill me and end all my taunting and teasing for good, and yet you never do it. You wanna know why? Because you need it. You need someone to keep you informed of all your sins, because otherwise you'd forget who you are. You'd let yourself believe you were just like them. Pure and innocent and confused to the way things are run around here. But you're not. You're a liar and a scoundrel, and if anyone knew who you really were, they'd turn their backs on you in an instant. You can't forget that, Ruby, because you know, once you do, it'll all just get worse. The better your life gets, the more Xylia demands of you. You need to have someone force you to remember what happened to Aiden, the last person that truly made you happy, so that you won't get comfortable enough in your own skin to allow it to happen again. That's why I'm here, Ruby. I make sure you don't forget who you really are, and that, my darling, is why you won't kill me." When she didn't reply, he went on. "Look me in the eye, Ruby, and tell me I'm wrong."

Again, she didn't say a word. She released him and stood silent, her eyes downcast because she honestly knew that he was right. His green eyes remained transfixed upon her and he took a step towards her, pulling her chin up to meet his green-eyed gaze. "Don't you remember what it was like for us before Aiden? You didn't hate me so much then."

"I always hated-" she tried to choke out, but her voice was strangled by suppressed tears. Too many bad memories were suddenly welling up inside of her.

"Shhh, I'm talking," Tristan whispered sensuously. "You're were so young and new to this game that the queen made up just for you. Back then, you hid the pain so much better than you do now. It was almost like it didn't hurt you, but it did hurt. That I could tell. You cried in your sleep for weeks after you worked your special art on one of those idiots, but you hada perfect poker face during the day. You hated what the queen made you do, as you still do now, but back then there was a side of you that almost ached for it." Ruby tried to shake her head in protest, but Tristan held firm. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall, not wanting to accept the fox's words that ran into her ear like poisoned honey. "You needed the acceptance from the queen. You needed to feel wanted, and you did back then, because you were _needed_ to do the queen's dirty work. It felt horrible and good all at the same time when you brought those poor saps to their knees before Queen Xylia. And then Aiden came... Handsome, charismatic Aiden. Everyone loved him. He was a smart one, wasn't he, Ruby? He could've figured you out, so you seduced him in the hopes that he never would. Then the unexpected happened... _You _fell in _love_, and suddenly your heart wasn't in your work anymore. You suddenly knew what _real _happiness was. Obviously, the queen's feelings were hurt, since you'd forsaken her- the one who raised you and gave you everything- for the love of an insolent raccoon. He had to go, and well... You fill in the blanks, Ruby."

"Please, just stop," she whispered.

"Tell me, my dearest, what ever happened the girl I knew before Aiden? Don't you remember all of those days full of restlessness and that hunger for glory? I do. So where's my girl with the blaze in her eyes? I think I almost saw a trace of her when you were berating the poor little fool of a raccoon back there. Where's the girl who was burning for life and would take the life of another just to feel the power and the control forone moment before she let the grief overtake her and spoil it all. I know you recall how fearless it felt to take off with the wind at your heels, knowing that you were stronger than everyone around you. That girl's still inside of you, somewhere. Let her out, Ruby, and bring your renegade heart home to the one who truly understands it. Break free of this coil that binds you to your grief and loss and pain. Bury the dead, Ruby... Even Aiden. Forget any of them ever existed and just _live. _You could be better than you were, and I could help you. Don't forget, I know who you are, and no one else will ever know you like I do. We were cut from the same surly star, like two jewels in the night sharing fire. We're the same, Ruby."

"No," she finally pulled away, jerking herself free of his spell. "We're not the same. Aiden changed me, Tristan. I will never go back to forcing myself to not care about everyone I hurt, and I will _never _be your girl." She bristled and turned away, stalking off towards the mountain.

Tristan smirked as he watched her walk off. "That's what you think."

* * *

Morning sunbeams peered through the canopy, casting shafts of ethereal light on the little family as they lay sleeping among the shimmering dewdrops hanging like ornaments off each blade of grass that eneveloped them. The sweet smells of summer air wafted in a gentle morning breeze, stirring them all awake. Trembling in anticipation of what the new day would bring in this strange new place they'd found themselves in, they all stood and surveyed their surroundings better. The place had simply been a foreign, yet generic, woodland to them at night, but in the daytime it was just as the picture in RJ's brochere had described it- a paradise. 

"Jeepers," the entire porcupine family chorused.

Hammy looked like he was about to burst with excitement. Squealing with joy, he began to dart about, climbing from tree to tree and jumping about madly. RJ climbed down from his own tree quickly to avoid becoming victim to Hammy's manic energy and joined the rest of the family in watching him zip around their beautiful newfound home.

"Uncle RJ, it's even better than the pictures," Bucky exclaimed.

"You're telling me," the raccoon replied, obviously transfixed by the beauty as well. Never in his short life had he seen a forest like this. It was almost worth not being able to steal food from humans anymore if he could live out the remainder of his life in a safe haven as glorious as this.

"Morning!" A cheerful voice spoke from above them. Ruby was perched in a nearby tree and she made a graceful leap onto the ground in front of them. Hammy sped by her, ruffling her fur a little as he rejoined the rest of the group. She brushed herself off and continued. "Did you all sleep well?"

"Good morning to you, Miss. Sunshine. I see you got up on the right side of the tree this morning," RJ said with a sardonic smirk.

Ruby flashed him an equally sardonic grin. "I'm not talking to you." She turned to the rest of them and produced a leaf wrapped around a rather large supply of nuts and berries. "A welcome gift from the queen," she added with a charming smile.

"Hey, this is my family and if you're going to hate me, then they're not going to want anything to do with you, Missie," RJ said, crossing his arms definiatly over his chest. Seconds later, his family contridicted his words by diving into the food with fervor. His face fell and he scoffed a little at the blatent insult.

"Thank you, Auntie Ruby!" The triplets squeaked in delight as they nibbled the berries. "These are delicious!"

Ruby chuckled nervously. "Auntie Ruby... That's, uh, real cute, kids."

"My compliments to the queen," Verne said through a mouthful of berries.

"Verne, isn't your tail tingling about now?" RJ asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Not in the least bit," the turtle shrugged. "You should really try some of this."

"I'll just wait and make sure you don't all keel over dead first," RJ muttered. Ruby rolled her eyes and produced a ginger snap and held it out to him. "What's that? A peace offering or is that one really poisoned?"

"Just take it," Ruby said coldly. RJ coolly took it from her, studied it briefly, and then shoved it into his mouth. "Now you can't say I didn't at least attempt to be nice."

RJ swallowed the cookie, refusing to allow how much he enjoyed it to show on his face. "Fair enough," he muttered. Satisfied by that, Ruby turned to the others who were just finishing the last of the treats she had brought with flourish.

"Are you guys ready to see the valley?" She asked.

She didn't need a verbal answer. The expressions on their faces said everything that needed to be said.

* * *

Several minutes later, Ruby led them all the way into the valley and not even the forest compared to the marvel that they now found themselves staring at as they entered. Trees taller than any of them had ever seen before in their lives seemed to touch the sky and flowers bloomed in copious amounts all around them. Most importantly, standing in a large area in the middle of a group of trees formed in a circle was a gathering of various animals all waiting for them, it seemed. As they entered the circle, there came a great cheer of celebration and the family instantly felt at home in the embrace this warm reception that greeted their arrival in this new place. Even RJ couldn't deny that he enjoyed this feeling of instant acceptance. At least, he thought, the rest of the valley residents seemed kinder than Ruby. 

Ruby... There was something about her that wouldn't let him go. There was more to her than her obvious disdain for him, which seemed to come without merit. He wouldn't get a good night's sleep until he knew what was hidden inside of her heart that made her so cold and distant, but at least allowed her the benefit of a semi-cheerful facade... To everyone but him, at least. He knew unconsciously that the only reason he really wanted anything to do with her was because she was so unattainable, and knowing what made her tick would make her less so. He'd flirted with females all his life and all of them had easily succumbed to his charm, but not her. It was like that awkward moment in a thief's life when he realizes that there really is something he can't steal, and he becomes obsessed with that one thing... And then once he gets it, it's nothing to him. That was just how it would go with this situation. He'd pursue her unrelentlessly until she gave in and then she'd be nothing to him. It was shameful and cruel, but he knew romance was something he dared not touch. He thought having a family like the one he had was out of bounds for someone like him, but he had quickly learned the error of his ways. A family like his didn't demand certain things out of you, but a lover or mate would. He couldn't have that, at least not right now. He just wasn't ready to share the part of his world that only he knew about with anyone.

A part of him spoke up and said gently, _But you want to share it with her._

He pushed the thought away. No... If he could ever get her to like him or even love him, that would be it. It would make him out to be a jerk and he knew Verne would probably find it horribly distasteful, but it would keep him safe. The last thing he needed, besides someone to share his past with, was yet another person that he was afraid to lose. He had his new family to worry about, after all.

"Okay, move it. Move it, I said! I'm coming through!" A nasally, feminine voice called out loudly, as the crowd parted revealing a very pretty female skunk that gave off an air of attitude and self-confidence that rivaled even Stella's. She approached the newcomers and surveyed them warily. "They look like a nice bunch, Rubes," she said. She addressed the group and began to speak slowly, clearly, and loudly (much to everyone's distaste). "Hello, and welcome to our valley!"

"They're not deaf, Val," Ruby said, rolling her eyes. She, too, addressed the group. "This is Valerie, or Val, rather. She's sort of our society leader. She knows pretty much everything about everyone." She leaned over and whispered in the nearest ear, which just happened to be Heather's and added, "Which is just a nice way to say she's the nosiest one of us all."

"I heard that," Val muttered. She was about to speak again, but another voice called out through the crowd and once it again, it parted, revealing a oddly tall and scrawny rabbit with mottled brown fur.

"Newcomers! I welcome you!" The rabbit said, bowing theatrically as he reached the group, upstaging Val. "My name is Reginald, and I am the mayor of this community."

"Self-proclaimed mayor," Ruby and Val said in unison, their voices deadpan.

"Schemantics, ladies, schemantics!" Reginald said, huffing a little.

"I think I like that guy already," Ozzie chuckled.

"He definitely has your flair for the dramatic there, Ozzie," Lou agreed.

"Okay, Reggie," Val said, patting the rabbit on the shoulder. "Go back to your rose bush and ponder the meaning of life or something for awhile. I've got work to do."

"Valerie, I am-"

"Reggie," the skunk narrowed her eyes and for awhile they stared each under down. Finally, Reginald gave in and turned to go. "Make yourselves at home!" He called back to the family before hopping off.

"Oy, that rabbit," Val rolled her eyes. "Now let's get down to business, shall we?"

"What business?" Penny asked, cocking her head in confusion.

"Well, to get you aquainted with everyone here and fully integrate you into our community, I'm going to assign you each a buddy. Your buddy will be responsible for showing you around and introducing you to everyone as well as finding you a place to stay." She turned to the residents of the valley behind her. "You all got that?" They all murmered their agreement and Ruby smacked her head and groaned a little in response. Val ignored her and went on. "You," she pointed to Hammy. "What's your name, precious?"

"Hammy!" Hammy said, bouncing excitedly.

"A little wound up, are we?" Val grinned smugly. "I know just who to pair you up with. Oy, Sammy!"

There was a sudden blur in the air and suddenly a gray squirrel appeared beside Val, bouncing in a manner very reminscent of Hammy. "Yeah, Val? What is it, Val? Huh? Huh? What is it?"

Val jerked the tiny squirrel's head in Hammy's general direction. "Sammy, meet Hammy."

Sammy stuck out a tiny paw to the over-zealous brown squirrel. "Hi, I'm Sammy!"

"I'm Hammy!" Hammy accepted the handshake and the two of them shook each others' paws vigorously.

"Hey, I've got some nuts hidden under a bush right over there," Sammy pointed excitedly. Hammy's eyes lit up.

"Really? I love nuts!"

"Great! Let's go!" In a flash, the two squirrels were gone. There was a stunned moment of silence, which was broken by RJ, who looked at Val with an expression of genuine approval on his face.

"You're good," he said.

"What can I say? It's a gift," Val shrugged. She added, more to herself than anyone else, "Though I better get an insurance policy to make sure those two don't destroy the entire valley. Bianca!"

"Right here, ma'am," a small voice belonging to a tiny chipmunk right beside her spoke up.

"Oh there you are," Val said absent-mindedly. "Would you mind keeping an eye on Sammy and his new friend for me? Make sure they don't destroy anything or... Die... Or whatever."

"On it, ma'am," the chipmink replied before scampering off. Satisfied, Valerie moved on, looking over the rest of the group with a appraising eye. "Porcupine family," she finally said, gesturing with a movement of one slim finger. Lou, Penny, and the kids stepped up. "Sara," Val called over her shoulder. "I think you can make this lot feel right at home."

A female hedgehog with three tiny children stepped up just beside Val and smiled gently, though her smile was obviously forced for her eyes told of some deep sorrow. "Hello," she said swetly. "I'm Sara, and this is Bristle, Prickle, and Thorn."

"Hi!" The kids waved in unison.

"Oh, aren't they just the cutest things," Penny said. "I'm Penny, and this is my husband Lou, and our children, Bucky, Quillo, and Spike. Say hello there, kids."

"Hi," the triplets said, though nowhere near as enthusiastically as Sara's children had done. They seemed to be mildly untrustworthy of the other children, having never been around anyone their own age before, but there was a glimmer of hope in them that seemed to suggest that would change soon once they got to know the trio.

Sara lead them away from the group which was growing smaller by the minute, with Penny talking animatedly with her about how much she already loved this place and how she hoped she could get to know her better, while Lou rolled his eyes good naturedly, listening to his wife jabber on endlessly.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just take us around yourself?" Verne asked, not entirely fond of how the family was being split apart under his nose.

"That would go against Val's logic," a voice belonging to a female turtle spoke up, suddenly beside Ruby. Verne stared blankly at her for a long time, dumbfounded.

"They have everything here, don't they?" RJ chuckled, nudging Verne and winking suggestively. "Huh? Huh? Don't they?"

"Shut up," Verne replied, but his tone and expression betrayed the words.

"Why don't you take turtle-boy around, Velma," Val said dryly, crossing her arms over her chest. "No one knows more about this place than you, right?"

"Aside from maybe Reggie if he knew as much as he says he knows," Velma said, equally as dryly. "What's your name, handsome?"

Verne blushed. "V-Verne, Miss."

"Call me Velma." She jerked her head in a general direction and urged Verne to follow her, which he did without a trace of reluctance. RJ couldn't help but smile at this. The one thing Verne definitely _needed _was a girlfriend. He turned back to Val who had called forth Ozzie and Heather and was introducing them to a female opossum and her son, who looked to be about as old as Heather.

"Well, what a coincidence," Ozzie was saying, taking the female opossum's paw in his. "Both of us single parents."

The female opossum. "Oh no, I'm not single. My husband is just off somewhere. He'll be back soon."

"Well, I'd love to hear more about him," Ozzie grinned, offering her his arm as they started to walk off. "So how good was he at playing opossum?"

"There he goes again," Heather rolled her eyes. The female opossum's son grabbed her paw and started to lead her away.

"Come here, I'll show you something neat," he offered. Heather looked mildly reluctant and cast a furtive look at RJ, who gestured for her to go on, smirking slightly.

"Okay," she finally agreed, still somewhat hesitant, and allowed herself to be dragged off.

"Okay, as for you," Val continued, pointing out Stella. "You're mine. It's been a long time since I've seen another female of my species. I know a few males who'd be dying to see some new fur around here, so-"

Stella cleared her throat, cutting Val off. "Actually, uh,Val, I'm spoken for." She gestured to Tiger, who grinned proudly.

"Honey, I'd hate to be the one to point this out, but... He's a cat."

"And what if he is a cat?" Stella snapped, narrowing her eyes.

RJ winced. "You've just made Stella angry."

Stella was suddenlynow nose-to-nose with a rather shocked Val. "You some kind of speciest or something? Huh?"

"You aren't gonna like Stella when she's angry," RJ added.

"If you weren't a skunk, I'd gas you into next Tuesday, you-"

Val grabbed Stella's shoulders. "Honey, honey! No need to get violent! I've got no problem with your choice of a mate, really. It's just not something you see everyday... Although, I'm kinda curious about one thing. Are the rumors true? I hear once you go cat, you never go back."

A smile spread across Stella's face and she grabbed Val by her chest fur and started to lead her away. "Oh, you wouldn't believe it, darlin'. Come on, Tiger!"

"Coming, my love!" Tiger said, happily following Stella as she led Val away, leaving only RJ standing where once the whole family stood.

"Hey... Hey, uh," he struggled to figure out the skunk's name as she was being lead further and further away by a suddenly very talkative Stella. "Val! Yeah, Val! What about me?"

"I figured it'd be obvious!" Val shrugged, calling over her shoulder.

RJ suddenly looked towards Ruby who looked back. Realization suddenly hit the female raccoon, and she groaned. "Valerie!" She screamed.

"You'll thank me for it!" Valerie yelled back in reply as she, Stella, and Tiger vanished into the crowd which was starting to disperse in order for the residents of the community to get on with their daily lives. Ruby watched them all and proceeded to beat herself repeatedly about the head in anguish. RJ watched her for a few moments and finally broke the awkward silence.

"So... Do you really think my bag is stupid?"

* * *

_(A/N: Yeah, that probably could have been a much better chapter, but it's late and I needed to get everything set up for the events in later chapters pretty quickly, and that doesn't always mean stunning work. Don't kill me! ...Okay, I'll stop self-deprecating now seeing as everyone who's been kind enough to review has been very generous with the compliments despite my obvious flaws. I just don't want to let you guys down with drivvel where there should be gold. Some stuff's harder to write than others though. I promise there'll be more and better character development/interaction and action next chapter... Didn't I promise that last chapter? Oh well... Sorry..._

_I apologize for shoving the OC's down your throat in this chapter, especially the overabundance of Tristan, but that part needed to be done in order for everyone to get a better understanding of Ruby's character. Initially, I wanted to do that later, but I felt it needed to come out earlier so there was at least a hint that there's something of a reason behind Ruby's attitude towards RJ. Not to mention, it also established something very important about Tristan's character that's important. (Did you catch it? Tee-hee... As if it wasn't glaringly obvious.) I also apologize for a lack of description and all that jazz._

_Okay, I'm going to stop putting myself down before I start getting on everyone's nerves. (Oops) I hope you enjoyed this chapter! As usual, I crave reviews. So please drop me a little something in the box!)_


	5. Getting to Know You

_**Disclaimer: **See previous chapters..._

_**Chapter Four- Getting to Know You**_

Ruby was not having a good day.

After three hours of showing RJ around what would, much to her chagrin, be his new home, she had decided that she'd had enough of the male raccoon. He was such an infuriating, stubborn cad that she believed fully that given the choice, she'd rather spend a whole night foraging at the campgrounds with Tristan than spend one more hour with _him_. Unfortunately, she couldn't exactly get rid of him without making herself look bad, and the last thing she needed was to have anyone declare her unhospitable. So the best option was to grin and bear it... Or just bear it. She hadn't been doing much grinning these past few hours, and she didn't have any intentions of starting any time soon.

"So, I guess you've showed me everything by now," RJ casually smirked. "Except your place. I haven't seen that yet." He winked at her suggestively.

"And you never will," Ruby replied darkly.

"Wow, you really don't like me much, do you?" The male raccoon smirked, a hint of slight anxiety hidden in the expression. "Lady, tell me honestly, have I given you a real reason to dislike me?"

Ruby turned to face him, sapphire eyes narrowing. "No," she said honestly.

"Then what's the problem?" RJ demanded, waving his arms indignantly.

What was the problem?

That was an excellent question. Aside from RJ rubbing her the wrong way there was really nothing about him to despise. It was almost like she was intentionally forcing him to rub her the wrong way, just so she could make something despicible about him emerge and give reason to her actions. Nothing, however, seemed to work, and his relentless attempts to be charming only aggravated her more. Tristan was right, though she hated to admit it. She was intentionally keeping him at a distance by acting coldly towards him on impulse just so she didn't get close to him. If she got close to anyone, the queen would just have them forcibly torn from her side as she'd done before. Velma was the only creature she was allowed to be close to, and she accepted that. She didn't like it, but she accepted it, and it ever since Aiden, it hadn't been a problem to keep everyone at an emotional distance.

This little cretin was breaking down her defenses like they were nothing.

She knew it, and it was starting to become obvious. As Shakespeare said, "methinks the lady doth protest too much." There was something about RJ that gave her a fluttery sensation just by looking into his light blue eyes that glimmered like new steel. How long until she finally gave in and stopped telling herself how badly she wanted to hate him just for showing up in this place and trying to cater to her wounded heart, which so desired the touch of someone new to help her get rid of the ache she felt whenever she dreamed of Aiden? How long until she stopped cursing the obvious charm that just oozed out of him like honey from a hive and embraced it? Curses! She'd only just met him the previous night! It was foolish to think that someone could affect her so quickly in such a short period of time. She wasn't a lovestruck kitten. She was a young adult in the prime of her life. She was too strong and too smart to get mixed up in the wiles of a raccoon playboy who would probably dump her the moment she succumbed to him. She knew the type. Males like him were all the same and there was no denying that. She wouldn't allow herself to become vulnerable again. That's what happened with Aiden. She had went into that relationship expecting to be the one in control, and she wound up completely losing that control the moment she fell into his arms.

No other male would ever do that to her again, she had vowed. She had to remain in control and strong in order to keep from losing herself completely in the thralls of the queen's demands. No little charlatan was going to undermine that if she had anything to do with it.

After all that, all she could finally say to RJ was simply, "I don't know."

She turned to walk away, barely cognizant of the fact that RJ wasn't following her. "Why don't you tell me why you're so sad?" He called after her suddenly. She froze and turned to face him, her expression stunned, yet unreadable beyond that.

"What?" She asked.

RJ took a tentative step forward. The expression on his face was one of complacency, and gone were all the traces of amusement and wry charm and wit. For some reason unknown to her, he was being genuinely serious. "You don't hate me. There's more to it than that, so why don't you just tell me why you're really so sad?"

Ruby looked away, not liking this one bit. She found him to be much easier to deal with when he was being an aggravating little cretin, but this... This was too much to handle. She turned back to look at him, narrowing her eyes as she tried to think of something to say to his question that wouldn't betray her. Finally, she simply pulled the one wild card she had and hoped it would strike a nerve. "I'm not the only one hiding behind a mask, and I'm not the only one with secrets," she said. "Maybe you should share yours before you ask me to share mine." She didn't bother to stick around to see the dark and slightly pained expression that crossed RJ's features. She just walked off, assuming he'd eventually catch up to her or rejoin his friends. Right now, she just didn't want to deal with him anymore.

RJ watched her leave, having no desire to follow her. She'd hit a rather severe nerve and he wasn't certain he liked it. No, scratch that- he knew he didn't like it. However, he couldn't let her think she had gotten an edge over him, so he called after her sarcastically, "You're a real tough customer, lady! I bet you didn't even clap your hands to save Tinkerbell!" When she didn't reply, he waved her off and started to head back towards the circle of trees in the middle of the valley, his mind racing. Had she really sensed what no one had ever sensed before? That underneath this scoundrel, lies a poor, lost individual with a tainted past that supposedly only existed within the pages of bad paperback novels? Or maybe she was just grasping at straws, trying to make him feel bad about bringing up something she'd rather not discuss. It was the kind of sneaky, under-handed thing that _he'd _do.

This female was smarter than he'd given her credit for. He'd have to keep his eyes on her.

He cast a look in the direction Ruby had gone, and for a moment he wanted nothing more than to run to her and take her in his arms, and...

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" RJ said out loud, grabbing his head as he realized where his thoughts were going. "Hold on there, RJ, I don't like where that was going. You are _not _falling in love with that demanding, overbearing, callous excuse for a female. That's just asking for trouble."

And yet he couldn't seem to shake the thought of her out of his mind.

"This is going to end badly for me, I just know it," he gritted his teeth against the image.

_But that, _said a nagging voice in the back of his mind, _is a risk you'll just have to take._

* * *

Night began to fall over the valley community as the family began to reconvene to discuss their adventures during the day with their so-called "buddy." Only RJ and Verne hadn't arrived back yet, which left Val gossiping like crazy. The truth was Verne and Velma were inside the cozy hollow of the oak tree the female turtle shared with Ruby, where they had been for most of the afternoon after they had completed their tour. Now they were watching the whole scenario play out as Val placed her theories on where the two "couples" had gone off to.

"Is she always like that?" Verne asked, slightly embarrassed.

"Yes, but don't worry, there's not a creature in this valley who takes anything she says at face value," Velma shrugged it off with a wave of her hand. "Now tell me more about yourself, Verne. How'd you wind up with a group like that?"

"Well, it's sort of a long story," Verne said, before jerking his head in the general direction of the outside. "Shouldn't we go out there and set the record straight."

"I can wait," Velma smiled. "Besides, this is the most fun Val has had in a long time. Let Ruby set the record straight when she gets back. So go on, spill."

Verne sighed, knowing there was no other choice but to tell her even though he wasn't uncomfortable with some skunk he barely knew talking about him behind his back when he was within ten feet of her. "Well, back before our forest was turned into a huge suburban development, we sort of came together by chance and circumstance. We all had only two things in common- we had either lost something or were looking for something and we had all lived in that same forest all our lives. Lou, Penny, and Ozzie all met after Ozzie's wife Iris died. Penny was an old friend of Iris's, and Lou had been pursuing Penny relentlessly for awhile, so they all sort of met up at the funeral. Soon Penny and Lou were married and they sort of helped Ozzie raise Heather before they had their own children. Stella joined them a little while later after her entire family abandoned her and left her alone in the forest. Hammy was in the exact same position, though probably not for the same reasons and joined them a little while after that. They finally all met up with me. I had this nice little area of the forest to myself. It had a log. A very nice log. Anyway, they sort of stumbled upon it. Pretty soon we were helping each other gather food for the winter, and in almost no time we were a family." Verne smiled dreamily, lost suddenly in the memories.

"That sounds nice," Velma grinned.

"What.. Is that not what it's like here?" Verne asked, a little confused.

"No," Velma laughed, shaking her head. "We're just neighbors in the same community, maybe even good friends in some cases, but I'd never define us as a family. I'm a little jealous, Verne. You've got a good thing going here... Although, I am a little bit confused about one thing. Where does RJ fit into this?"

"RJ?" Verne chuckled. "We met him about two months ago by accident. He was trying to gather enough food to pay back a homicidal bear and used us as a means to an end."

"And yet you still consider him a member of your family?"

"Yeah," Verne looked down, hiding a smile. "What can I say? He may have his quirks, but... There's just something about him."

"Raccoons," Velma rolled her eyes. "You learn to love them for what they are and what they never say."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's a staple of their kind to be ambiguous. What? You mean to tell me that your friend RJ has been willing to give you insight into his soul that goes deeper than the surface?"

"No... He hasn't," Verne replied, vauge realization apparent on his face.

"Ruby's the same exact way," Velma shook her head. "Raccoons are very secretive creatures, you see. They don't tell you anything about themselves, but you learn to deal with that aspect of their kind, because it's the only way they know to be. Like you said, they may have their quirks, but there's something about them." She motioned for him to follow her. "Come on, I guess we should go and do damage control before Val gets out of hand."

Verne hesitated for a moment, his mind still processing her words. "_They don't tell you anything about themselves, but you learn to deal with that aspect of their kind, because it's the only way they know to be."_

He suddenly realized for the first time how little he knew about the creature he thought of as his best friend.

* * *

Ruby didn't return to her home when she left RJ in the forest. This RJ knew firsthand since he'd been following her ever since they'd split paths. Part of him kept telling himself that he was only following her in the hopes that she'd lead him to the campgrounds so that he could get a decent act of food larceny out of his system. It _had_ been such a long time since he'd had a decent heist.

However, the part of him that was actually right said he was following her because he was actually interested in where she was going.

He told both parts of his duality to shut up and continued on his way, being as cautious as possible. So far she hadn't suspected a thing. At first he figured it was because she was blinded by sheer frustration, but that no longer seemed to be the case. She moved through the forest with an air of purpose as if she knew exactly where she was going and had completely forgotten about him, so thoroughly wrapped up in her own little world was she.

As darkness rapidly began to fall, he took notice of the pair of the trees that Ruby had just passed between and saw the red markers tied to them. He stared blankly at them, recalling the words she had spoken earlier, and then watched her walk onward, unflinching as she made her way towards her single destination. She didn't seem to care about the risk of the so-called danger she had mentioned earlier and feeling vehemently emboldened by this fact, he continued to follow her.

_If I didn't know any better, I'd think she knows I'm following her, _RJ thought bitterly. That thought was soon put to rest when Ruby finally arrived at her destination. He froze, ducking behind a tree as he stared at the ediface that lay before him. It was a simple brick building with mesh fencing on both sides of it that extended all the way into the forest and around it as well. There was something about it that sent shivers down his spine even as he watched Ruby scale the fence and vanish over it again.

"You can't back out now, RJ," he whispered, trying to reassure himself as he pushed away his nervousness. "It's just a building, kid." He took a deep breath and darted all the way to the fence and scaled it with one deft motion, falling easily on the other side. He leaned against the mesh and sighed heavily, his eyes closed in relief. "Made it." He opened his eyes and suddenly his heart stopped when he realized in what sort of place he had found himself.

Long rows of large wire-mesh pens stretched as far as the eye could see, each filled with various animals. Ruby wasn't even in sight anymore and she hardly mattered anyway. His breath caught in his throat and his chest felt like it was about to burst with his heart beating a rough tattoo against his small rib cage. This was all-too familiar. He had been in a place like this once before, and he shuddered to think that somehow he had ended up in one again. Images from his dream filled his mind again. Why did they keep coming back? Why couldn't he escape them? Why did he follow Ruby to a place like this? He fell to his knees, clutching his head. Was this some sort of joke? Was someone out there mocking him? He desperately wanted to run, but he couldn't move. All those memories that had come in brief flashes during his dream suddenly hit him full-force in the face, and he remembered.

He remembered it all.

* * *

_It was two years ago..._

* * *

_"Rachel!" RJ called out, wandering among the thistles and brightly colored flowers of the meadow. The grass was taller here, providing the perfect cover for a raccoon kitten playing hide and seek. However, the older brother of said kit was growing weary of the game and wanted desperately to find her before night fell. Judging by the dark pink and blue hue of the sky, that would come sooner rather than later, and once darkness came so came the predators. His mother and father had always warned him never to stray too far from the den when it got this late, and he knew Rhonda and Rebecca were already home, waiting for him to return with the ever-mischevious Rachel who had once again hidden to well in the sibling's daily game of hide and seek. _

_Time was running out. _

_"Rachel, come on!" He yelled again. "It's getting late."_

_There was a giggle to his left and he saw a small brown ball of fur shuffle further into a patch of flowers. Smirking, RJ crept quietly around behind the little kitten. As quick as a flash, he snatched her up and she squealed with delight, giggling excitedly as RJ tickled her. _

_"Okay, okay!" She shrieked. "RJ, put me down!"_

_"Promise you won't try to run away and hide again?" RJ said, still tickling the writhing raccoon kitten._

_"Yes! Yes! I promise!"_

_"Okay, kiddo, fair enough," RJ put her down gently, and she looked up at him, gleaming adoration shining in her blue eyes. Her elder brother tousled the fur on her head and jerked in his head in the direction of their den. "Let's get home before Mom and Dad start worrying." _

_They started back home just as the sky started to get darker. Rachel drew closer to her brother, latching onto the thick fur on his thighs. He could tell she was shivering as she walked, and he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy as well as they neared the den. Something was wrong. He stopped and sniffed the air apprehensively and snorted as an unfamiliar and unpleasant smell wormed its way into his nostrils. _

_"Rachel, stay close," he whispered. The shivering little female kitten nodded, clinging tighter to her brother. The two of them took a few steps closer to the den just as a red mass of fur, teeth, and claws appeared out of nowhere, throwing itself at the two of them. RJ snatched Rachel up in one arm and clambered up the nearest tree, narrowly avoding having his tail bitten off by the creature, which he could now discern was a large dog, as he did so. Rachel cried out for her mother and RJ desperately held onto her, trying to soothe her and avoid the dog which leapt at their, regrettfully, low branch, savagely barking. Shouts accompanied by bright lights came from further in the forest and another dog- this one gray and white- had joined the first and was occupied with trying to dig its way into the den._

_"Mom! Dad!" RJ shouted. Rachel screamed her despair as the red dog made a dangerous leap that nearly reached their branch. _

_"Come on down," he snarled, panting as he paused in his perpetual jumping. His partner, however, didn't stop its digging and kept right on clawing at the dirt and sticking its long nose deeper and deeper into the hole. "We just want to play."_

_"Fat chance," RJ snapped back. The dog lunged again, once again just barely missing their branch. If only the tree were taller! _

_Suddenly the other dog let out a yelp of pain as it jerked back away from the den, its nose bleeding profusely. "It scratched me, man!" It whined when his companion whirled to check on his status. "They didn't say these things would fight back, man."_

_"Suck it up, soldier!" The red dog growled. Suddenly his eyes widened as he looked towards the den which had been left unattended by the other dog, who was currently nursing his wounded nose and muttering under his breath. RJ followed the dog's gaze and saw his family- his mother carrying Rhonda and Rebecca on her back- running out of the den. "You're letting them get away!"_

_His father whirled on the two dogs as they started to round on the raccoon family. Meanwhile his mother gestured frantically for RJ and Rachel to come down. They did so as quickly as possible and together the five of them took off running, the sounds of frantic clawing and biting echoing at their backs. RJ spared a glance behind him and saw the lights he saw earlier closing in on the fight. There were more undiscernible shouts and he felt something whiz past his ear with a sharp, painful noise. His mother gasped and pushed him down into the tall grass, dragging the little ones with her. "Stay with the girls, RJ. I'll try to lead them away."_

_"No, I'll lead them away," RJ pleaded. "The girls need you."_

_"Shhh, baby, just do as I say," his mother whispered frantically. "Just hide here and don't move or make a sound."_

_"I think it went this way," a voice called. "Colonel! Max! Sniff 'er out!"_

_"Stay safe, RJ, for me," His mother whimpered nervously. "I love you all so much. Don't forget that." She turned and vanished from their sight. There were more shouts and more of that horrible noise he had heard before, followed by a shriek of pain and a triumphant howl from the dogs._

_"Mommy!" Rhonda yelled. RJ clamped a paw over her mouth. "Shhhh!"_

_"What was that?" It was the voice of the reddish-colored dog. _

_"I dunno," the gray dog replied. Their voices were growing closer and fear gripped RJ's heart as he watched the tall grass surrounding his and his sister's hiding place start to shift and move as though two large bodies were moving seamlessly through it. "We already got the bigguns, we don't need anymore, do we?"_

_"It's the principle of the hunt, Max," snarled the voice of the red dog. "Leave no enemy alive."_

_"Aw shucks, Colonel," the dog called Max said. "They's just littleuns. I wouldn't call them an enemy."_

_"And that's why you'll never make a decent soldier."_

_RJ had to make a decision and fast. His mother had told him to stay put, but if he did, they'd surely be torn apart by those dogs. He didn't want to think about his mother and father and how they were probably dead by now, judging by the way the dogs talked. He had to protect his family at any cost._

_"On the count of three, we run," RJ whispered._

_"But Mommy said-" Rebecca tried to protest, but RJ cut her off severely._

_"Mommy's not here! Now... One... Two..."_

_"What was that?" the dog, called Colonel, growled, apparently catching the whispers on the wind. RJ became frantic._

_"THREE!" He shouted. The four young raccoons took off running as fast as they could go. There was a howl of rage from one of the dogs, Colonel most likely, and the two of them began to tear through the grass after them. RJ gripped Rachel's paw tightly in his and kept his eyes straight ahead. He was so focused on his desire to get out that he didn't realize until it was too late that Rebecca wasn't following him anymore._

_"Becky!" Rhonda sobbed. She made to stop, but RJ grabbed her arm with his free paw and jerked her forward._

_"We can't stop now!" He tried to be strong, but tears stung his eyes at the loss of one of his sisters. The pounding footsteps of the dogs drew closer and closer, but RJ kept running, feeling as if his heart was going to burst in his chest. They had lost the meadow long ago and no longer had the cover of tall grass as they ran. The dogs were right on their heels, their hot sticky breath on their backs. He felt Rhonda being forcefully jerked from his grip and didn't dare look back. Rachel's scream said all that he feared, however. He picked her up and continued running with her in his arms, afraid that her tiny body would give in and she, too, would fall victim in to the dogs. He had to protect her- his beloved Rachel. If he could save her, he at least wouldn't have completely betrayed his mother's dying wish. _

_In his single-minded attempt to escape, he failed to notice that his terrain was changing and tripped as the ground suddenly sloped downward. In the ensuing fall, Rachel fell from his arms and despite his desperate attempt to reach for her again, they both tumbled in seperate directions. He landed painfully in a briar patch, and became instantly tangled up horrifically in the thorny branches. Each time he moved, the thorns pierced his delicate flesh and tore at his fur. The more he struggled the more pain he was in, but he tried to ignore it in his futile attempts to force himself free. He just had to save Rachel!_

_Rachel..._

_Was that her painful scream he'd just heard? Yes, it was. The scream gave him new strength and he clawed and bit the branches that held him in their thrall, with each movement drawing more and more blood. His eyes became hazy from bloodloss, but he kept going. He snarled and waged a horrific battle against his plant captor, fighting and hissing and weakening every second._

_A soft chuckle met his ears. "Will you look at that, Max?" _

_Colonel. RJ didn't have to look to know the voice that had become so familiar to him this night. Beyond the overpowering scent of his own blood, he could also smell the blood that dripped from the dog's fangs. The blood of his family. His sisters. Maybe even his mother and father too if the creatures with the lights hadn't gotten to them first. He saw red for one instant, thrashing wildly as an irrational, animal part of his mind took over, thirsting for revenge, but even it couldn't disentangle him from the briar's thorny hold. _

_"The little guy's a little upset, isn't he?" Colonel snickered. "Guess he knows that his entire family's dead."_

_"You... You murdering," RJ choked out, his eyesight starting to blur. He felt woozy and lightheaded all of a sudden, like the only thing he wanted to do was sleep._

_Colonel laughed. "Sticks and stones. I guess it's a small mercy that bush got you before I did. You don't have to suffer the same fate as your little sisters."_

_"Colonel, please," the one called Max whined. "Can't you just let the little thing die in peace?"_

_"You're weak, Max, and you always will be," Colonel snarled._

_"Colonel! Max! Get up here, boys!" A voice called. The dogs jerked their heads in the direction and through the glaze of his eyes, RJ could see Max leave and then he could see nothing more._

_"In your last agonizing moments of life," he heard the Colonel's voice whisper, "just remember that you took the easy way out of this world."_

_And then his world dropped away to blackness._

_He didn't die that night, though for one week he felt like he was dying over and over again. He wasn't certain what happened in that one week, but he recalled exactly what happened when it was over._

_He awoke on a hard surface that felt rough to his cheekbones. His entire body was sore and his muscles were stiff. He tried to sit up straight and his head bumped against something hard. He woke with a start and came to the painful realization that he was no longer in the meadow he had called home. He was in some sort of wooden box with wire mesh on one side, allowing him to see outside but preventing him from fully embracing it. His body cried out in pain as he circled the small enclosed space, tripping over a small tin dish filled with pellets of some kind. The smell wafted to his nostrils and he realized pitifully how hungry he was. He devoured the pellets and then resumed his pacing, finally stopping and placing his paws on the wire mesh. _

_"Let me out!" He cried. "Where am I? Where's my family?"_

_Memories came back to him. His entire family was dead and he was alone in the world, not to mention trapped in this horrible place. He sank helplessly to the floor of his prison and began to sob, unable to hold in any of the emotions that writhed within him. The one thing his mother asked of him and he had failed. He hadn't kept his sisters safe. They were dead, just as he should be. Colonel should have killed him when he had the chance. Just dragged him bleeding out of that briar patch and finished him off._ _Death couldn't possibly be as horrible and living with this pain and loneliness._

_Death would have been a mercy._

* * *

He spent nearly a year in that place. Eventually, creatures whom he came to know as human beings (they apparently ran things) moved him to another pen with others of his species, all of them older, who had been there since they were small, having come to this place after being injured or orphaned like himself. There were other animals in this place too, all of them inside pens like the one he found himself in. Humans would come and stare into the pens, gawking and making faces. He learned a lot about humans from all the time he spent there. It was knowledge he put to good use when he finally made his escape.

He couldn't quite remember how, but he did escape. Maybe someone had helped him, maybe not. It was all a blur to him. He knew, however, that one he got out, he had fled from there and never looked back. He thought he was free of that horrible place that had stolen one year of his life even if the ones responsible for running it had saved his life. (A life that might have been better left unsaved.)

He thought he was free.

Now he knew he never would be.

He didn't know how far into the horrible memory of his past he was when he started crying, but he knew he was choking back uncontrollable sobs when he came out of it. How on earth did he wind up in a place like this again? It wasn't the same one, he knew that much. When he escaped the last time, he had run so far and so fast that he doubted not even the farthest of wanderings could lead him back to that place. The field where he was born, where his family's den had been, lay as far away from where he stood as that place.

And yet why did it feel like he had never left?

Why did he feel as if he was sitting upon the blood-soaked ground where his mother, father, and sisters had fallen?

Why was he surrounded by the cages that once held him prisoner and kept him alive when all he wanted was to die?

Why was this happening to him?

His head hurt from an overload of suppressed memories and the throb of what amounted to the threat of an oncoming migraine. His heart was beating furiously in his little chest which was heaving as he continued to sob, pressing his face to the ground, his paws clenched over his head. It was all coming at him too hard, too fast. It was all too painful.

"What are you doing here?"

A voice? He knew that voice... That soft, lilting alto. Yes, it was Ruby's voice. His mind raged against the thought of her, threatening her with cruel thoughts. _She _led you here. _She's _the reason you hurt so badly. Never mind the fact that his head and his heart had schemed together in a cold act of rebellion to make him follow the she-raccoon to this place.

Had she realized how much pain he was in? Did she know he was crying out his despair for his tortured past? Did she even care?

"I asked you a question. Answer me! You shouldn't be here... You shouldn't have followed me. They'll kill you if they find you outside the boundary. Don't you understand?"

He didn't. He didn't understand much of anything anymore.

* * *

The silence was defeaning to her. There was no adequate way to describe the void she felt when, in one heartbreaking moment, he suddenly stopped sobbing and lay still. She feared he might have died, but his heart, still beating furiously in his chest, disproved that thought.

Why did he follow her? Why did he disobey the single command she gave him and his so-called family? What had he hoped to gain?

But most importantly... What was wrong with him?

He touched his shoulder as he lay curled up in a pathetic ball, convulsing in silent, yet fitful dreams. She had carried him away from the Sanctuary not long after she'd found him and it became painfully obvious that he was physically incapable of answering her. They were safely within the borders now, but she was too tired and too sore to carry him much further, so she'd found an abandoned tree hollow for them to stay the night. She could have left him there, she supposed. Left him to collect his own sanity and find his own way back to the valley. Nothing would hurt him here within the safety of those markers unless the queen demanded his death, which she didn't seem apt to do at the moment.

But she couldn't leave him.

_What's wrong with you? _She thought, looking at the pitiful creature who had been so cocky, so sure of himself earlier this very day.

Had it been the Sanctuary that made him so? How could it be? There was nothing but safety in those cages. Most of the creatures she had befriended there enjoyed their life and those who didn't were there because of some unspeakable animal kingdom crime they had committed and gotten captured by humans for, so they deserved their unhappiness. Sometimes she longed to find safety in those pens and cages... And then she recalled how much she loved her freedom... If one could accurately call what she had that. Whatever it was, it was what she was used to and she enjoyed as much of it as she could.

Her thoughts went back to RJ and how he had looked when she first found him. What _was_ wrong with him? Had he suffered at the hands of something less than the solitude of her Sancutuary? Had the Sanctuary simply reminded him of that horrible place? She didn't know.

If RJ was anything like her, she would probably never know.

"Have any of you seen RJ since this morning?" Verne asked.

"Ruby's missing too," Velma agreed with a nod.

It was getting late and neither of the two raccoons had made it back yet. The community had gathered for one last meeting before everyone bedded down for the night, and this stunning new revelation shocked them, especially given circumstances that the newcomers didn't yet know about, and if the community had their way, would never know about until an appropos time... Like when someone else vanished.

This, however, didn't stop Reginald from blurting out at random, "They've become victims of the Vanishing!"

"What?" Verne blinked.

"We weren't informed of any, uh, vanishing there, Sara," Lou said, mildly confused, looking to the female hedgehog.

"Oh don't mind, Reggie, he's just being overly dramatic as usual," Sara said, reassuringly.

"Or is he?" A soft-spoken, southern-drawled accent spoke up. The owner was a red fox that Verne and his family hadn't seen before, who had seemingly just arrived. Situated behind him was something resembling a child's pool float with a rope lead attached to it, loaded down with food of the variety that RJ was want to steal.

"Who are you?" Verne narrowed his eyes.

"Did someone forget to tell the new blood around here who I am and what my duties are? How rude..."

Velma rolled her eyes and gestured to the fox. "This is Tristan. He's our chief food-gatherer."

"Charmed, I'm sure," the fox grinned smugly. "I was just bringing your rations by and I couldn't help but overhear Reginald's stirring speech."

"Not now, Tristan," Velma said under her breath.

"Oh, but shouldn't they know the valley secret?"

"What valley secret?" Stella said with a wry look at the fox. "Fox, you better be spilling before I yank it out of you."

"And we wouldn't want that," Tristan said coyly. "Well, my dear friends, it seems that something odd has been happening in recent years in this valley. Friends and family have a bad habit of going... Missing in the night. Like Sara's husband Harold... Or Sadie's husband Bert... Or even that nice, charming young lad Aiden."

"That's quite enough," Velma snapped, rounding on the fox with a look of disdain in her green eyes. "How dare you come here and try to frighten these newcomers with your little fantasies of doom? You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I'm positively devastated at how horrible I am," Tristan said with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"Do us all a favor and crawl back into the hole you came out of," Velma turned on her heels and started to skulk off just as Tristan laid a paw on her shell and whispered so softly to her that only she heard the words that came out of his mouth.

"There's only one individual who is allowed to talk to me like that, and you're not her."

Velma didn't waver. She simply replied, equally as quiet, "Still holding that torch, are we?"

He released her, a look of pure loathing and hatred on his face. The expression only worsened when Val spoke up, a rather mischevious look on her pretty face.

"Personally, I think they've just shacked up somewhere," she said bluntly.

There was a small crash as some of the tins that Tristan had gathered fell from the top of the pile and hit the ground, brought about by the fox skulking off in an angry huff.

For some reason, this amused Velma immensely.

* * *

Morning sunlight streamed across RJ's face and he yawned and stretched. His front paws touched something soft and it took him a moment to realize that he wasn't alone. At first, he thought he was back home in the _cul de sac _behind the hedge near El Rancho Camelot, but on closer observation, he realized that the gray and black body fast asleep beside hi didn't belong to anyone in the family. This puzzled him for a moment until the events of the previous nights came flooding back to him. Their home was gone and he was in a new place, a valley that he and his family had embraced as a paradise.

Or not. The memories of the previous night's horror also came back to him and he shuddered. He had blacked out completely at some point, and so he had no memory of how he ended up in what amounted to a tree hollow with...

Ruby.

Normally this would have been seen as a triumph, but he was still reeling from last night and couldn't see it as such. He didn't think of the possibility that she had probably saved his life back there, and avoided any thoughts that put her in a good light as he leapt from the tree and landed gracefully on the ground. Part of him decided that it didn't want to forgive her for leading him to that place even though she really wasn't at fault in the situation.

The rational part of his mind wasn't working, apparently.

It didn't take him long to assess that Ruby had woken up and was trotting along behind him. He thought about trying to lose her, but he was still too tired and drained to do much more than walk on at a haughty pace. She eventually caught up with him, and grabbed his shoulder to get his attention. He didn't push her away. He simply stopped, but refused to look at her. Again, the dual sides of his heart and mind were at war. On one hand, there was no reason to be angry with her, but on the other hand, there was a long list of reasons why he should be that really didn't make any logical sense to a normal person, but they sounded pretty good to that part of him and that was all that mattered.

"RJ, I want some answers." She sounded desperate. Had she been worried about him? No... She'd proven the past couple of days that she didn't care anything about him.

_Then why had she stayed?_

He ignored the nagging little voice and started moving forward again. "42, Delaware, all of the above, 90 degrees, the south of France, A, D, Matthew Broderick."

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" She snapped. "Stop being so infuriating for once in your life and just talk to me."

RJ turned on his heels. "I just met you. When did we get to the 'just talk to me' phase?"

"When I found you curled in a fetal position beyond all reasonable help last night," she replied without missing a beat.

RJ narrowed his eyes, refusing to allow how deep that had struck him to show. "Like you said, I'm not the only one with secrets. I'm not the only one hiding behind a mask."

"Don't give me that!" Ruby stormed over to him. "Just when I think you've gone as low as you can go, you find a basement door, but..."

"But what?"

"But last night I saw a side to you that I don't think you've ever let anyone see."

"And I don't intend to show it to anyone again, so do you mind? Are we through pawing? I've got a family that's probably worried about me." He turned to go again, but was stopped by a scrawny red fox standing in his path.

"Did I intrude upon a lover's tiff?" The creature chuckled dryly.

"Tristan, you are the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time," Ruby scowled. "What do you want?"

"Just looking for you two lovebirds," he circled around RJ, making sure to smack him in the face with his bushy tail as he passed. "You've been missed."

"We're heading back, Tristan, and we don't need an escort."

"_Au contraire,_" Tristan smirked. "You're wanted at the queen's cave, Ruby, my sweet."

Ruby scowled in disgust and turned to RJ. "We'll talk later."

RJ didn't bother to dignify that with an answer and sighing in discontent and probable disgust, Ruby left the two of them alone, but not before shooting Tristan a look that read, "You better not do anything funny." The fox simply smirked casually in reply and only once she was gone did he turn to RJ. "She's wrong, you know."

"About what?" RJ muttered.

"About me being the the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time," the fox sneered. "Because that, my friend, is you."

RJ spared a small chuckle. "Yeah, well... Story of my life." He started walking again, but Tristan bypassed him, his green eyes glinting darkly.

"I wasn't finished."

"Well, you should specify that. Use a nice transition word like 'anyway', but don't just leaving me hanging there or else I'm going to think you're done talking."

"You think you're smart, don't you?"

"Why yes, I do."

Tristan scowled briefly and then quickly slid his mask back into place. "So... RJ, is it? That's an odd name. What's it stand for?"

"Honestly? Nothing." RJ eyed the fox warily. "Tell me something. What's a guy like you doing holding a flame to a candle like hers?"

"Excuse me?" Tristan narrowed his eyes.

"You've obviously got a thing for Ruby."

Tristan bristled. "Now listen here..."

"That's a sure sign of it, my boy," RJ chuckled. He started to walk on past the belligerent fox, but was abruptly shoved against a tree by that self-same fox, whose emerald eyes were glowing with a sort of cold fire that would have paralyzed anyone else in fear.

"Don't play games with me," he snarled.

"I'm not the only playing games, Tristan. You are. You're the one playacting the part of a saint when you're really just a scoundrel. I should know, I've been there. You're just really bad at it. What have you got against me anyhow?"

"You d-don't... k-know... w-w-what I'm capable o-of," Tristan stammered, thoroughly overwelmed by RJ's heckling.

"I d-d-don't k-know?" RJ replied, mocking him viciously and thoroughly enjoying it. "Well, Tristan, why do you look like you're three seconds away from k-k-k-killing me?" Tristan released him, snarling vehemently. "I don't suppose you have to have anything against me. You're just one of those guys that can't stand anyone compromising what he's got going. I mean, look at you. Aside from us being of a different species, it's almost like looking in a mirror. Except I've faced and conquered my demons awhile ago, and you look like you're losing the fight with yours big time. I suppose that's just the way it goes. The fact is, _Tristan, _I'm getting the feeling that you won't be satisfied with anything while I'm here until I decide to play dead."

"If you insist on continuing this pathetic excuse at trying to outwit me conversationally, then _that_ will be your next grand performance... And I can make sure you're quite convincing." The fox glowered and moved to leave, stopping briefly. "We don't have to have this conversation ever again, _RJ. _Just stay away from Ruby."

RJ had no real intentions, at least right now, of pursuing Ruby since the last night's events were still fresh in his mind, but just to yank Tristan's chain a little more, he smirked and said, "We'll see."

The expression on the fox's face as he left was worth what he hoped, for his own sake, was a lie.

* * *

"Doyle, where are you taking me?" Heather muttered as she followed the young male opossum through the forest towards some destination that he seemed eagerly excited about showing her. He had already led her around the valley until her feet ached the previous day and she had more important things to worry about- like where RJ was, for one thing- than going on some random adventure. Still, Doyle had been vehement about taking her to wherever it was he was taking her and wouldn't take no for an answer.

"It's not much further, I swear," he said, trace amounts of nervousness tinging his voice. Obviously, it had been a long time since he'd had someone his age to hang out with, and probably the first time he'd been alone with a female, and he was milking the situation for all it was worth while he still had the chance. With that in mind, Heather couldn't help but find him a trifle bit amusing in a dorky way.

Doyle stopped suddenly in front of a large rock outcropping that jutted out beyond a portion of forest. He helped her onto it, leading her all the way to the edge, and then she realized exactly what he wanted her to see.

The view was spectacular. An endless stretch of trees all surrounding a not-so-distant mountain that loomed over everything. Heather was spellbound by the beauty of it all. Coming from such a small forest in an area that knew nothing of these natural wonders, she had no clue that such a glorious place existed beyond her wildest dreams. This little patch of paradise that RJ had led them to was magical, indeed. She could feel it. There was an air of safety here in this place. There was an air of perfection, as well, and showed in every blade of grass and every summer leaf. It even showed in the rocky sections of that mountain all the way up to the craggy cave just below its highest pinacle.

"Beautiful," she finally whispered, too overpowered to say much else.

"Yeah, my dad used to take me up here with I was little and we'd watch the sunset. Sometimes we'd just come up here to talk and get away from mom," Doyle grinned.

"Where is your dad?" Heather asked. "I heard your mom say he was off somewhere." She decided to discount what Tristan had said the previous night about the so-called "Vanishing" that Reginald had brought up.

Doyle shrugged and sat down on the stone, indicating to Heather to sit down as well. She obliged and stared out at the view that spread before her like a blanket. Doyle found himself unconsciously admiring a completely different view, rather the beautiful profile of the young female opossum beside him. "My mom thinks he went off looking for Aiden. The two of them were best friends, and he was really shaken up when Aiden left."

"Aiden?" Heather looked at Doyle inquisitively. "That's the guy the fox mentioned, right?

"Yeah," the male opossum said, slightly dreamily. "He was my hero. I wanted to be just like him."

"Was he a opossum?"

"No, a raccoon," Doyle replied, matter of factly.

This time it was Heather's turn to look dreamy. "Just like RJ."

It was almost like someone had abruptly pulled the needle off the record of Doyle's life. "RJ?" He said, his eyes wide in surprise and slight horror.

"Well yeah," Heather replied, looking a little confused at the expression on Doyle's face. "I mean... Have you seen him? He's like... Dreamy, you know."

Doyle's expression didn't waver. "No," his said, his voice coming out as a squeak. "I don't know."

"Well you're a boy," Heather rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't understand."

"Understand what?" The male opossum whined.

Heather stood up, more than a little perturbed. "Nothing. Hey, look, I'm glad you brought me here, and I, like, hope we can be friends and all that..."

"Friends?" Doyle squeaked.

"Well... Yeah? What else would we be?" Heather rolled her eyes before turning to go. "I can find my own way back. See you around, Doyle."

Doyle watched her go, oddly dumbfounded. When she was gone, he blinked a few times and muttered rather despondantly. "That... Did not go the way I hoped it would."

* * *

There was excitement abundant when RJ walked back into the main circle of the valley where his family was waiting. He forced his tired and worn out body to return their hugs and greetings happily even though all he really wanted was to find someplace comfortable and sleep away everything that had happened to him the previous night and this morning as well.

"RJ!" Heather's voice squealed. She hadn't been with everyone else and had apparently just returned from someplace herself. The look on her face was pure joy, but she quickly hid the expression behind a mask of cool amusement. "It's totally good to see you."

"You too, Heather," RJ chuckled, barely noting the change in her expression.

"We were just thinking, RJ, that we'd like to spend a day together as a family," Penny piped up. "Would you are to join us? It'll be super."

"Uh, it sounds great, Penny, but I think I'm gonna have to decline." RJ rubbed the back of his head, obviously a little bit distressed that he'd have to miss it. He just couldn't face them right now. It was taking all the willpower he had to talk to them. "I'm really tired, so I think I'm just going to find someplace to take a nap."

"Oh okay," Penny said, disappointment apparent in her voice.

"I'll make it up to you another day, I promise," RJ assured her, "but I'm beat right now." He didn't wait for another reply and simply moved on. Verne watched him go, his mind recalling Penny's words from last night.

_"Raccoons are very secretive creatures, you see. They don't tell you anything about themselves, but you learn to deal with that aspect of their kind, because it's the only way they know to be..."_

Barely cognizant of what he was doing, he followed RJ to a cozy spot the raccoon had quickly found for himself. "Do you need to talk about something, RJ?"

"What's there to talk about, verne?" RJ said, sullenly.

Verne knew that the tone of his voice and the way he looked at him with those steely blue eyes said everything. Whatever had happened, the raccoon didn't want to talk about it. Without another word, Verne left him alone, curled up in a ball with his thoughts.

Those very same thoughts found Ruby and stayed there. Like an epiphany, he finally realized that she _had_ helped him out last night. She could have left him alone in that place, but she had saved him and stayed with him the whole night. She gazed into a window to his soul that hadn't been opened in a long time, and she seemed so... _concerned _about what was hidden there.

Images of her filled his mind and the pain and anguish seemed to vanish without a trace, like a fog lifting over a calm sea that had once been stormy.

God help him, he was falling in love with her.

He rolled over on his side and sighed deeply. "I'm in way too deep."

Even so, he couldn't help thinking that maybe he liked it that way.

* * *

(_**A/N: **Awww... I'm so abusive to characters I love. Now finally at least some of the plot can begin! This was soooo painful to write, mostly because my muses are evil. I had to put RJ's flashback in early just because I couldn't get any other ideas, though I suppose it works here. I can't shove everything on you later, can I? Nope, 'cause that would be stupid. _

_As if you guys can't tell, apparently the major focus in this story is on RJ (and Ruby, apparently). Heh... The rest of the cast will be providing a more supporting role, but that doesn't mean they're out of the picture. They still have their contributions to the plot to make, but they won't be as prevalent. The story is picking up pace as of now and is going to be relationship and plot-driven from here on out which leaves little room for vignettes, but in quieter moments, I may indulge in some. Who knows? It's my fault for throwing so many characters into the mix, I guess, and then getting caught up in them and neglecting the original cast. I'm trying not to do that! Bear with me. I actually know where I'm going now. Last night I sat down and wrote out detailed summaries of what's coming up in the next three chapters so I'm not wandering blind anymore._

_The thing is, I know where I'm going with this story, I'm just struggling to get there on occasion, thus why I'm being so self-conscious about putting out good material, though I'm just doing it needlessly- you guys are just too good to me! Anyway, I have tons of conflicts that lead into each other, and just because Xylia hasn't appeared since the prologue doesn't mean she still isn't a driving force. But it's important to know that she's not the major villian... At least not right now. Hehehehe... But now I think I've got my act together. It's all gonna b a-okay!_

_Thanks again for your kindness! I depend on the kindness of strangers, and I promise the next chapters will be even better! I will not let you all down!)_


	6. Ever Fallen

**A/N: **She's updating on the front end of a chapter rather than the tail-end? Must be important! I've finally realized that I am loved and you all are loved ten times as much in return, so I thought I'd take a moment and say... Thank you so much, you reviewing people, you! You like me, you really like me! (Well... There was that _one _guy, but we shall not speak of him.) No more inferiority complex for me! Yay!

That said, I'd like to address a comment made in one of my reviews. Someone mentioned that I had previously been trying to keep Dreamworks in mind when I did this, but so far my Dreamworks-style humor has been lacking. The fact is my sense of humor is rather dry and caked with obscure references, so things that I find funny probably aren't funny to the rest of the world, and especially wouldn't be defined funny by Dreamworks. So I think that's a lengthy way to say, I lied. I wanted this to be filled with humor and wit... But then the Dark Side beckoned and the angst gods demanded a sacrifice, and everyone's sanity is suffering. So now there's ANGST, nothing but ANGST and DRAMA! Actually, that's an exaggeration. There is less angst now. Most of the angst was divulged in that last chapter, but there probably won't be as much slapstick, gut-roaring humor as there probably should be. That makes me as sad as it probably makes you sad, but there are things we must sacrifice for the sake of plot! ...But don't worry, I'll try to throw random humor in here and there when it's appropriate... Until then you'll have to enjoy my dry sense of humor, because it's all I've got.

As for those of you who enjoy sap and romance... Well, this chapter is for you. The comedy fans shall not be left behind though! There's still some humor... Somewhere, and the next chapter promises to be very lighthearted for the most part.

Okay, no more talk! So much talking must stop. On with the show!

* * *

_Did I say that I loathe you?  
Did I say that I want to  
Leave it all behind?  
_-Damien Rice

* * *

_**Chapter Five- Ever Fallen**_

"You wanted to see me, Queen Xylia?"

The old she-wolf lay sprawled on the stony ledge outside of her cave, where two large male wolves stood guard, their eyes never wavering from their queen. Even as Ruby approached the regal creature, they didn't move. That, however, was to be expected seeing as she practically had some sort of diplomatic immunity when it came to everything she did- even in having the audacity to approach the queen in a manner that no one else was allowed to.

"Tristan has told me some rather unsettling news," the queen's throaty voice rasped. Ruby froze and the old wolf chuckled, sensing the hesitation and slight fear that gripped the little raccoon. "Does that give you reason to be nervous, Ruby?"

The female raccoon tried to collect herself and shove her emotions away. There was no reason to suspect that Tristan's words really had anything to do with RJ, and even if they did, there was nothing to be worried about. She certainly wasn't in _love _with him or anything. If Tristan had filled the queen's ears with sugared lies, she'd deny the accusations in an instant. After all, she was the queen's ambassador and that slimy rat of a fox was only the chief food gatherer, a hardly lofty title. The queen would surely take her word over his.

"No, your highness. It's just that Tristan has been oddly belligerent the past few days. I just grow weary of his embittered attempts at blackmail and sabotage."

Queen Xylia laughed in a cold, hoarse way that sent shivers down Ruby's spine all the way to the tip of her ringed tail. "Yes, he's an arrogant one, but he's smart. Too smart. That's why he's stuck gathering food for the ignorant masses and not up here where you're standing. I can't afford someone that smart in a position of power lest he undermine my authority. So you'll forgive me if I feel the need to trust his word."

Ruby tried not to show any expression on her face even though her heart was racing, denoting the effect those words had on her. Xylia listening to Tristan? That was a new and highly unfortunate development. She had never listened to him before now. What had he told her to suddenly make that change?

The queen went on, her voice turning so cold that Ruby believed the temperature around her dropped a few degrees in the wake of her words. "Tristan tells me you're getting rather _cozy_ with that new raccoon that arrived yesterday."

"I'm not!" Ruby shook her head, clenching her paws into fists tightly. _Say it a little more vehemently, maybe you'll make yourself believe it too. _She forced her mind to shy away from that thought. It would betray her.

Xylia didn't look like she believed her words in the slighest. "Ruby, don't lie to me. I know your heart just as I know my own, as black as it is. You're fragile, emotionally volatile. You're a wounded dove who will fall into the arms of the first male who offers her his warmth and kindess just so she can feel worth something and be able to fly again. Do you remember what became of you when you swore you were strong enough to seduce that fool Aiden? You weren't strong enough, were you, Ruby?"

No... She wasn't strong enough. Xylia was right about that and everything else, even though she hated to admit it. She wasn't as strong as she swore to herself she was. There'd always be someone who would destroy what she had belived to be well-made defenses as if they were nothing, and then she'd either get hurt by them or she'd face the other alternative, which was far worse.

"Ruby, do you remember what you were like when I first found you? A starving, cold, little kitten, all alone in the world, and too young to truly comprehend the cruelties she'd suffered at the hands of the merciless. I raised you to be the beautiful creature you are today, and how do you repay me? By spurning all my teachings and falling in love."

"I'm not in love!" Ruby snapped before realizing who she was talking to. Xylia snarled and whirled on her just as her two guards snapped to attention, growling at their queen's heels.

"I can see it in your eyes! It's the same look you had when you turned your back on me to be with that pathetic _fool_. Don't you realize that you are nothing without me, Ruby? They can't give you what I can give you! They can't give you strength and power. All they can give you is merely a brief moment of passion that means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Why do you think I made you watch as I ripped your last lover apart before your very eyes. It was to discourage this from ever happening again. Do you want _him_ to die?"

Ruby choked. "No."

"Then for your sake, you better not be in love with him," Xylia turned and moved back towards the cave, snarling at her two guards as she passed. They whimpered in the wake of their queen's apparent rage and then shot Ruby dark looks as they resumed their places. Without another word, the female raccoon took off running down the mountain path and didn't stop until she reached the bottom. Only then, did she stop to rest, sinking onto a large rock, her breathing coming in spurts from the over-exertion.

Tristan apparently knew which of the queen's buttons to push to turn her against her. Xylia was belligerent when it came to the idea of Ruby falling in love and abandoning her duties as her so-called "mole" in the valley. She tried to reassure herself that the old wolf's anger had come without merit and she had nothing to worry about, but the fact was she had stopped being able to lie to herself about this last night when RJ had his fit. She was honestly falling for him, which was a danger to her as well as to him.

And yet... Despite the danger, it felt good to finally admit it to herself even though it scared her. She hadn't known the risks when she'd fallen for Aiden. She'd only known the love and passion he instilled in her.

But RJ wasn't Aiden. They were nothing alike. Aiden had loved her unconditionally and would have died rather than see her hurt. Xylia was so insulted by this, she actually killed him herself. He had embraced his death proudly like a martyr. In a way, he had been a martyr, but those who he martyred for never knew of his sacrifice. She had watched the entire thing, forcing herself to be strong just to impress the mistress who had forced this upon her. Later, she had vomited herself sick and spent the night in a tree near the Sanctuary, crying in despair and asking for something, _anything _to kill her.

But RJ... His attitude towards her was as mixed and ambiguous as hers was towards him. His personality had multiple layers to it that she couldn't even begin to sift through. At the surface, he was a charming, sharp-witted, sarcastic little scoundrel, but below that... What? He was obviously just as haunted as she was, but by ghosts of a different sort. He seemed to be able to suppress his much better than she suppressed hers, since it seemed to her that he had never lost control before last night. Was she attracted to him merely because she saw a weakness that had never been shown before? Did she feel it was her badge of honor to win his heart simply because of that?

She didn't need to wonder. She didn't _need _to think about it, because it would only wind up ending badly. Xylia was onto her before anything even had the chance to begin, and she would not watch another lover die. She couldn't handle it.

But her heart ached to think of going on without knowing if this was a love worth risking the danger. Maybe she could hide the truth from Xylia. Maybe Tristan could be persuaded to keep his mouth shut. Maybe their love could go on without anyone from the darker side of her life finding out.

Or maybe she'd finally be strong enough to tell Xylia no.

She laughed suddenly for a long time. This was so foolish! She'd be risking both their lives by even thinking about pursuing him, and besides... The way he acted this morning all but proved he had no desire to pursue _her _any longer. Since when did she become just a lovesick idiot?

And yet... Maybe she liked the danger.

Maybe she liked the intrigue.

Maybe she liked the mystery.

Maybe she liked it this way.

* * *

"Feeling better, RJ?" Hammy asked as he hopped backwards along the path, facing RJ and Verne. 

"Sure, kid." It wasn't a lie. That long nap had done wonders for him. He'd shoved the memories back into the furthest recesses of his mind and locked them away once again. He'd even, at least mentally, forgiven Ruby, even though she really hadn't done anything wrong. If anything, she'd saved his life back there, and for that he was grateful.

But none of that mattered anymore. He was just glad to be back to his old self, and to show his elation at that fact, he'd offered to take a stroll through the forest with Hammy and Verne. The midafternoon had, undoubtedly, brought with it the heat and humidity so familiar to the dog days of summer, but it was hardly noticible beneath the shady canopy of the trees that loomed overhead.

"So what do you guys think of this place?" RJ asked, looking around him and taking it all in.

Hammy leapt in the air excitedly. "I love it! I want to stay here forever and ever and ever!" He continued a chorus of "and evers" ad infintium while hoppping around in circles. Verne and RJ watched him with amusement.

"While I don't share his utter enthusiasm," Verne chuckled, "I have to admit I like it here too."

"Oh yeah? How are you and Velma getting along?"

Verne tried to hide a blush. "Well... I guess it's going okay."

"You really like her, don't you?" RJ laughed, noting the expression on his friend's face.

"I really do," Verne said without missing a beat, brutal honesty in his green eyes.

"Well, what are you doing standing around here with me and Hammy like some garden variety bachelor, man?" A grin broke out on RJ's face as he leaned over the blushing turtle. "Go and get the girl!"

Verne's expression was slightly perturbed. "RJ, you know I'm not the 'go out and get the girl' kind of guy."

RJ would not be deterred. "We just need to _improve _upon your image a little. Get you to come out of your shell."

Verne looked horrified. "What?"

RJ rolled his eyes good naturedly. "Not literally. Now first things first...Show me your sexiest pose."

"...Come again?"

"Work with me here, Verne!" RJ pounded a tiny fist into his palm impatiently.

"I don't think I can..."

"Of course you can! Every male has a God-given talent for being sexy. It's a crucial part of our existence."

"...Really?"

"Of course!" RJ waved his arms excitedly. He paused and calmed down, holding his palms out in front of him as he took a deep, healing breath. "Here. Allow me to demonstrate." The next few moments went by in a montage of various expressions, coupled with body language that were apparently RJ's definition of "sexy." Verne watched with a odd mix of horror and mild interest.

"I repeat, I don't think I can do that," he said when RJ finished his posing.

"You can and you will," the raccoon said matter-of-factly. "Here, allow me." With speed and nimble agility, RJ began to move the turtle's limbs in order to get an accurate pose, despite Verne's protests. When he was done, he backed up and examined his work. "Well? How do you feel?"

Verne eyed the odd contortions his arms and legs were currently in and gave RJ a dark look. "Like an idiot."

"Okay, that wasn't what I was going for," RJ murmered to himself, massaging his chin. "How about this?" Ignoring Verne's continued protests, he started all over again, completely unaware that Ruby had just arrived.

Hammy was still twirling about, singing his chorus of "and evers," and acknowledged her arrival with a small wave which she returned with a nervous grin. She stood for a moment, watching RJ and Verne continue their "sexy pose" shuffle until she could bear watching it no longer and cleared her throat. Both raccoon and turtle froze comically with RJ pulling both of Verne's hands over his head while the turtle attempted to balance on one foot.

"Am I interrupting anything?"

RJ released Verne's hands, causing him to topple over on his back. "Uh... No, actually. I was just... Teaching Verne... The finer points of ballet!"

"Ballet?" Ruby looked at him with a bemused look in her blue eyes, her tone of voice implying she didn't believe a word he was saying.

"It's a well known fact that chicks dig a guy who can dance. Isn't that right, Verne?"

Verne peered at RJ over his stomach, still uselessly tipped onto his back. "I refuse to answer that on the grounds that I'm never listening to anything you say ever again, since it all it ever does is end with me feeling very humiliated."

"Don't say it unless you mean it, Verne," RJ chuckled. He suddenly became aware of Ruby slipping her fingers around his, a gesture that stunned him, though it wasn't entirely unwelcome.

"Let's take a walk."

RJ blinked a few times in surprise and then he smiled, completely forgetting that he had been angry at her earlier this morning. "Is that a proposition?"

"Just come with me."

"You're the boss, lady." He turned to Verne and Hammy (who was still skipping about) and waved. "I'll catch you on the flip side, boys. See you tonight."

"Okay, RJ... I'll just... Lie here."

"You do that," RJ said, saluting his friend as Ruby started to pull him away. As soon as he was out of sight, Verne sighed discontentedly.

"You think you know a guy and then he runs off with the first female he sees, abandoning his friends in the process..."

Hammy finally stopped skipping and helped Verne to stand. "Don't worry, Verne, RJ's just exhibiting a primal need to exert himself as a male, and to do that he needs the company of a female of his species. It's just a part of life."

Verne stared blankly, completely dumbfounded by the fact that it was Hammy, of all people, who had pointed that incredibly true and deep statement out to him. The squirrel noticed the look of beweilderment and cocked his head to the side.

"What?"

"Nothing." Verne shook his head numbly. "I just had no clue you were a savant."

There was a moment of silence, broken by Hammy declaring proudly, "I can burp my ABC's!" He then proceeded to demonstrate this fact as Verne smacked his forehead, feeling a strong desire to withdraw his earlier observation.

* * *

"I guess we're both gluttons for punishment." RJ pulled his paw out of Ruby's grip and stopped walking, an unreadable expression on his face. They hadn't been walking for long, but they were far enough away now that they probably held no risk of being disturbed. 

"What makes you say that?"

"Because no matter how much and how often we fight, we always wind up together like this."

Ruby turned away, smiling slightly. "Look, I just wanted to apologize."

RJ flashed her a confused look. "For... What?"

"For treating you like scum. For everything. You name it, I apologize for it." Ruby looked at him and he could see the honesty in her sapphire blue eyes. "The truth is... I'm the scum."

"Are you okay? Did you contract some kind of weird freaky virus at some point? Is it contagious?"

"RJ, be serious! I'm pouring my heart out and all you can do is make stupid jokes."

"It's in my nature," RJ shrugged. "Look, I'm trying to be a gentleman here. You see, Ruby, the moment I meet an attractive female, I have to start pretending I have no desire to... You know." He moved his paws, urging her to fill in the blanks which she did with a roll of her eyes. "So to help me pretend, I just make witty jokes at her expense. Some chicks dig it. You apparently don't."

"Really? So this is all your pathetic attempt to be chivalrous?"

"Essentially, yeah."

"Well, let me _tell _you RJ, that a pathetic excuse for chivalry does not a gentleman make."

RJ narrowed his eyes, obviously they were going back to square one all over again. "Well, let me tell _you_ Ruby, that I hate it when people talk backwards!"

"Why? Your teeny-tiny brain can't process it?"

"Hey, lady, I didn't come out here to be insulted!"

"Oh really? Well, where do you usually go?"

"Did you just invite me out here so you could get your daily dose of verbal abuse in?"

"No!"

"Could've fooled me!"

"A _gnat _with a _lobotomy_ could fool you!"

There was a long pause as the two of them panted heavily, glaring so viciously it was almost as if they were trying to eviscerate each other with their thoughts. Neither of them really had any clue why they were fighting. They both had individually, and in their own ways, decided that they were in love with each other. However, they were both still weighed down by their own ever-prevalent issues that kept them apart and those issues apparantly manifested themselves in the way they couldn't go five seconds without fighting whenever they got around each other.

"Tell me something," RJ panted, his words coming out as calmly and rationally as he could make them, "how does a girl like you wind up becoming a girl like you?"

"Just lucky, I guess," Ruby said between pants.

RJ shook his head, grabbing his knees (or his closest equivelent, actually) and leaning over. "Yeah, well... I'm not going to deny that I'm extremely attracted to you right now."

"I agree," Ruby replied.

"You agree that I'm attracted to you?" RJ blinked.

Ruby shook her head roughly. "No. I agree that I'm extremely attracted to you as well."

"Oh.." A pause. "Y-you should have made that a little clearer. We don't need any miscommunication this early in our relationship."

"Are you implying that we're in a relationship?"

"I don't really know what I'm implying..."

"Really?"

"Yeah... Look, lady, to tell you the truth, when it comes to romance, I'm about as much of an expert as a palsy victim doing brain surgery with a pipe wrench."

"I have no idea what you just said, Aiden."

"That's okay, I really don't know what I just said either." Another pause. "Did you just call me Aiden?"

Ruby straightened up abruptly. "N-No, I didn't." The damage, however was done. RJ straightened up and narrowed his eyes a little in confusion.

"No, no, I distinctly heard you call me Aiden." He took a step closer to her, and she took a step back.

"I-I didn't. Aiden... RJ... How could I get those names mixed up? Come on. You just heard wrong. Uh... Look, that was the best fight I've ever had. I hope it was as good for you as it was for me, and I'd really like to do it again sometime." She turned to leave as quickly as possible, but RJ grabed her wrist.

"Oh no, now you've got me interested. Who's Aiden?"

Ruby looked down, realizing that she was trapped. "Aiden... Was... He was..."

She didn't know what came over her, but suddenly she practically threw herself into RJ's arms and started sobbing uncontrollaby. She had various reasons for her tears. An overwhelming sense of guilt for betraying Aiden's memory, a fear of falling in love again, and the horrific thought that RJ could, in fact, suffer the same fate as Aiden and die by Xylia's fangs. For some reason, however, it felt good to cry on his shoulder like this, and after the initial shock wore off, she felt his arms enclose around her, pulling her tighter into the embrace. They both knew in that instant that there could be no more wars within their individual selves, tearing them away from what they knew was right. There would be no more fighting and no more denial between them any longer.

In that one moment, their fates were sealed.

* * *

Only other individual bore witness to this event and he watched from a safe distance, a scowl on his face for he knew that he had lost one of the few things he truly desired once again to the fell clutch of circumstance.

* * *

"Ruby and RJ, huh? Well, I can't honestly say I _didn't _see that coming." 

Verne and Hammy had returned from their walk in the woods, sans RJ who had yet to return with Ruby. Immediatly upon their arrival, Hammy had set off with Sammy and Bianca somewhere, and Verne came to realize that the rest of his family had otherwise occupied themselves with their new friends. _So much for family gatherings, _he had thought with a trace of a smile. RJ apparently wasn't the only one too preoccupied with the valley residents to make time for the family, not that Verne was in any way bitter. They were still a family, no matter what... They just had new friends to talk to and hang out with, something they'd be deprived of for years. Besides, he was no better than they were, considering he had found himself an excuse to visit Velma as soon as returned to the valley. He and the female turtle were once again engaged in their usual pleasant conversation and the topic had turned to RJ and Ruby, a subject that Verne was a little reluctant to discuss seeing as he wasn't sure how this was going to end. Everything seemed to be moving far too fast, and he told Velma so. The female turtle simply laughed.

"You've never been a kid in love have you?"

Verne struggled to cover up a hint of a blush starting to creep up on his scaly flesh. "...No." It was the truth, all things considering. He wasn't really a kid anymore, after all.

Velma smiled in a complacent, maternal way. "Me neither, but when you've lived as long as I've lived and seen the things I've seen, you start to emphathize with all the romantic foibles of the young. Trust me, Verne, I've been a crying shoulder for about half of those crazy kids out there when they've had their little hearts broken, and afterwards they always say it was worth the pain for all the pleasure that came before the fall. Right now, Ruby needs someone to take her mind off..." She paused and hesitated a little. "... Things. I'm sure your friend RJ needs someone for the same reason."

"You know, I wouldn't know," Verne shrugged with a small smile. "I don't know anything about RJ."

"But you know that he's lonely."

Verne couldn't argue with that. Beyond all of RJ's confident quirks, he couldn't help but sense there was an air of lonely solitude that went beyond anything he would speak aloud. He'd never seen it manifest itself as it had that morning when RJ returned to the valley, looking like someone had just placed the weight of the world upon his small shoulders.

"Does it ever bother you that you don't know much about Ruby?"

Velma shook her head. "Never. Somethings are just stronger than knowledge. Friendship means you don't worry about the past, and instead set your sights on facing the present and future together. If you care about someone, you don't worry about where they came from... You just worry about who they are. I know Ruby is a strong, good-hearted, endearing creature who, at times, lacks a little bit of self-confidence. I know that she worries about what others think of her all the time. I know that she, like RJ, is very lonely, and I know that she's emotionally frail no matter what she tries to make others believe. That's all I feel I need to know."

"But what if she's lying to you? What if that's not the real her at all?"

Velma touched his shell gingerly and looked into his eyes, her face the very definition of serious. "There are things that you just have to trust on faith alone, Verne."

* * *

Ruby wasn't the only one who found solace in the Sanctuary. In recent months, Tristan had also started to come here, although for an entirely different kind of solace. An old friend of his had been jailed, as he liked to think of it, here after committing quite a few atrocities on the valley folk until she was eventually brought down by the sheer cleverness of that wretched raccoon Aiden, and captured by the humans. Now she lived her life in solitude behind wire mesh, chained to a metal stake because she was apt to attack her prison violently if she wasn't kept tied up. A pathetic state for one so powerful as she to find herself in. 

Tristan moved silently in the dark shadows of the Sanctuary. Night had fallen, but he was still seething about the sight his emerald eyes had witnessed in the forest. Another budding romance for Ruby. Another pathetic life the queen would take... Eventually. He grew weary of the queen, however. Setting Ruby up for the verbal thrashing she had gotten earlier had merely been for his own benefit in hopes it would discourage the little raccoon from pursuing that wretched excuse for a creature she was sporting with, but it obviously hadn't. He could have told the queen about what he had seen, but, as previously stated, he was weary of the queen. He hated her laws and he hated having his talents wasted on food gathering. He wanted, no _needed, _to break free.

And his little Angel of Death would be the medium to help him do so. She had failed in her attempts to claim the valley as her own before, but she wouldn't this time. She would have _him _by her side.

He stopped in front of the pen which held the one he sought. He could pick out her shape in the dark shadows, but the only feature he could see prominently even with his acute sight were her glowing eyes.

"Tristan?" She purred, her voice as soft and cold as frozen silk.

"How are you tonight, Amity?" Tristan smirked, drawing closer to her pen. He heard the sound of a chain clinking and saw the dark shape shift positions.

"I've been better."

"Well, I figured that."

"And you Tristan? Are you still living in an amusingly advanced state of denial?"

"Are you still harboring pathetic thoughts of vengeance from behind prison walls?"

Amity's cold, mirthless laugh filled the air. "You're still as cocky as ever. If my tongue were as bladed as yours, I'd fear for my life. There are some who would think nothing of killing you for some of the inscrupulous words that come out of your mouth."

"You're one to talk about scruples, my dear."

"Did you merely come here to shoot the breeze, Tristan, or did you actually have something useful to contribute to my seemingly meaningless existence?"

Tristan drew ever closer to the pen, his emerald eyes flashing. "Things aren't going my way in the valley. The fact is, I think I'm due for a full-scale rebellion, and there ain't no one I'd rather have on my side than Queen Xylia's oldest enemy. So how about it, sugar? I have the means to get you out of Dodge before the sun rises. You _and_ your old buddy Cyril- can't seperate the dream team, now can we? You game?"

The chain moved making a clinking, slithering sound as it dragged on the ground. Amity emerged from her cloak of shadows and stepped into the moonlight, illuminating the body of a lean, attractive, yet physically intimidating female bobcat. Her golden eyes glittered as she met Tristan's gaze, and a dangerous smile crept across her lovely features.

"I'm listening."


	7. On This Night of a Thousand Stars

**A/N: **Have you ever noticed that these chapters are never completely light-hearted and there's always some level of angst and drama within them? This chapter is no different, although it's better than most. Sadly, this is going to be one of the last of the red-hot light-hearted chapters since we're spiralling into a darker plot. There might be humor, but it's not gonna be slapstick-worthy anymore. This hath been decided by me and the general people. Dreamworks and "kiddie-friendliness" went out the window a long time ago, so I'd like to apologize profusely to the reviewer who commented on there being too much gore. I can't really get rid of it at this point because the violence is the backbone of everything, so it's no longer worthy of being called a true "sequel" to OTH. I'm sorry about that. It's rated PG-13 for a reason, because I'm just a dark, demented author, and I'm just going to keep on getting darker.

Welcome to the Dark Side... We have cookies!

**Disclaimer: **See previous chapters...

* * *

_"And just for this moment  
As long as you're mine  
I've lost all defenses  
And crossed some borderline"_

-Wicked

* * *

_**Chapter Six- On This Night of a Thousand Stars**_

_He stood on the ledge, overlooking the vast expanse of trees spread out like a carpet at the feet of a king. To her, he was a king. Regal, glorious, and worthy of her undying devotion. She wanted to worship him like a god and build temples in his honor. He just had that much of an effect on her._

_And even with that being so, she was mere seconds away from betraying him. _

_"So this is how the other half lives." His beautiful baritone voice sent shivers down her spine. He had no idea what was about to happen to him. He had no idea that his young life- a life that could and would have been spent with her- was about to be cut tragically short. _

_And she could do nothing but watch now, because she was too much of a coward to tread the path of heroes and lovers. The very path that he trod without question. This being so, how could she have ever hoped to be able to hold him forever?_

_Perhaps Xylia was doing her a favor. Perhaps she would kill him before he had the chance to break her heart, leaving her with only his passion and his love in her memory, and not his bitterness and spite. _

_Yes, and perhaps pigs truly could touch the stars on silver wings._

_"Ruby?"_

_He must have sensed her tension and fear, judging by the look on his face. She cursed herself silently. She'd have to learn not to wear her emotions on her sleeve if she was going to go through with this. He probably already suspected something was up. If that were true, however, he made no sign of it. He simply wrapped an arm around her and led her to the edge so that she could share with him the spectacular view. It was a view she'd seen many times before, but somehow it seemed different to her. It was even more beautiful than usual, because she was seeing it with him._

_For the first time and for the last time._

_She felt the shadows creep up before they fell upon them. He whirled around first and found himself gazing into the eyes of the most vicious-looking she-wolf he'd ever seen with several other equally vicious wolves behind her. _

_"Good girl, Ruby," Queen Xylia practically purred. "You certainly earn your keep around here."_

_"Ruby, what's going on?" He asked her. She didn't answer. She simply turned and walked away, not wanting to watch the horror that she had brought upon her beloved. She was stopped, however, by Tristan. "Move," she scowled. _

_"'Fraid not, pudding," Tristan replied before forcefully jerking her around so that she faced the wolves that were boring down upon her hapless former lover. He held her arms tightly behind her back so that she couldn't move no matter how hard she struggled. Apparently, Tristan's weak limbs could work miracles when they wished to, though this was hardly a miracle. _

_"Let me go!" She snapped. "Queen Xylia, I did my part."_

_"Your part?" He looked at her in beweilderment, and it pained her to see the hurt in his brown eyes. _

_"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," she whispered._

_"Ruby, my pet, you must learn never to make this mistake again so you're going to watch as I kill him."_

_"No!" She cried, but Xylia would not be swayed. _

_He just stood there with an emotionless look on his face and embraced his fate and his death with warm, inviting arms. Somehow, this hurt her more than if he had died crying in agony and praying for mercy._

_She'd never forget the last thing he whispered before Xylia ripped him apart right before her eyes._

_"I forgive you, Ruby."_

_A second later, she watched as the creature she had loved died in the most gruesome fashion possible without blinking, without moving, and without even flinching when the blood began to splatter on the white fur of her chest, appropriately near her heart. _

* * *

It had been a long time since she'd thrown up this violently. Half the contents of her stomach that lay strewn about the forest floor she couldn't even identify, as if she really wanted to. Her whole body shook with that horrible sensation one feels after they've vomited heavily and she had to sit down to avoid getting dizzy and repeating the process.

How long since she'd had a dream that vivid? It had felt like she had gone back in time to the night of Aiden's tragic death and was being forced to relive the whole thing over again. She had to wonder if her newfound relationship with RJ was the culprit. After all, they had spent another night in a tree hollow away from the valley together, and this time there had been no nervous breakdowns between them.

Was this all moving far too fast? Was it getting far too hot for her to handle?

No... She wouldn't believe that. She was in full control of the situation. She _had _to be.

Otherwise she'd be haunted by the ghosts of two dead lovers, and her sanity just couldn't take that.

"Isn't it a little early for that?" RJ's voice called from above her, still in the hollow. She looked up at him, trying to feign a look of annoyance at his bad joke, but inside she was smiling. Her emotions were calling the shots for her again, and she knew it. Imagine what happens to one's emotional well-being when they decide that they've fallen in love! Before now, she would have been thoroughly insulted at such a blatent disregard for her health and well-being, but now she knew that it was just RJ's subtle way of trying to make her feel better.

Oh, she had it bad, and she was certain that she was enjoying it... At least for the moment.

"Very funny," she called back. "Come down here. We need to get back to the valley before we're missed again."

RJ scaled the tree and landed deftly beside her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine... Just ate something I shouldn't have, I guess." She wished he'd just drop it. It wasn't something that she felt comfortable discussing, but she was in too deep with him now to risk upsetting him by being cold and harsh about it. Somehow he sensed her tension and backed off. She recalled he, too, had his secrets and he didn't seem apt to make a hypocrite out of himself by pushing her to tell her secrets, when he wasn't willing to tell his.

"We probably do need to get back," he said, sincerity in his light blue eyes.

For some reason, that one sentence spoke volumes to her that went beyond merely what he had said aloud.

* * *

"RJ didn't come back last night, did he?" Verne stood before his assembled family and scanned the faces, not seeing the familiar masked face of the his raccoon friend. Once again they had come together in the hopes they could spend some quality time that they had been denied due to circumstances that had arisen since they had arrived in the valley, although no one really could complain. In the past few days, they'd achieved a kind of happiness that transcended anything they'd had back in their old home even before it became El Rancho Camelot. Even so, they knew they couldn't simply abandon each other in favor of new friends. They _were_ a family, after all.

"I don't think so," Ozzie replied. "Then again, I was with Sadie most of yesterday."

"You sure spend a lot of time with her," Stella looked at the opossum wryly. Ozzie, however, didn't look the least bit nonplussed.

"She appreciates my skill for the dramatic."

"That's just a nice way to say he can't get anywhere with her because she's married," Heather said with a snarky smirk plastered all over her face.

"Heather!" Her father tried to sound serious, but it came out too choked. Making matters worse, his face was starting to flush.

"You have to know the right thing to say to get him riled up," Heather casually said to Stella. "It's a daughter thing."

"I have taught you well, girl," the skunk laughed, wrapping an arm around Heather's shoulders.

"Um, guys?" Verne cleared his throat. "We're still short one raccoon."

"He's probably with Ruuuuuuby," Hammy laughed, drawing out the 'u' sound in a childish manner.

"Still?" Verne blinked. "He left with her about midafternoon yesterday while we were in the forest. Did he never came back?"

"His bag's still where he left it this morning," Heather piped up. This earned her several odd looks from everyone present, which caused her to blush a little. "Not that I was, uh, looking or anything."

"Morning, family!" The familiar dulcet tones of RJ's baritone voice rang out, clear as a bell. The raccoon in question was coming up towards them, a cheerful smile on his face. Oddly enough, he was alone.

"RJ, where have you been?" Verne scolded. "You had us worried sick! Next time you-" He was abruptly cut off by RJ grabbing him firmly by the shell and twirling him around in the air like an overzealous child at play.

"Where've I been?" RJ laughed. "Where've I been? To the moon and back!" He dropped Verne on the ground and only by sheer luck, the turtle avoided being deposited onto his back again.

"I know that look in his eyes," Tiger said as RJ snatched up Hammy and continued to dance around like a fool. "It is the same look that once graced my own eyes when I met you, Stella."

Stella blushed mildy. "Oh, Tiger..." She smiled and turned to look at RJ. "Well, it couldn't have happened to a better guy." She became aware that Heather had suddenly wormed her way out from under her arm, and turned her attentions to the young female opossum just in time to see her hurry away. Ozzie watched her go with confusion and started to follow, calling out her name. Doyle poked his head out of his mother's hollow and then completely emerged, his gaze following the older opossum's.

"What's going on, Mr. O?"

"Heather just ran off in a huff. I don't know what came over her," Ozzie blinked in confusion. Doyle patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry about her. She's a teenage girl and teenage girl's all have issues. Want me to talk to her?"

"I think that might be the best thing," Ozzie replied, not really feeling the words. "Someone her own age might be able to get through to her." He quietly watched as Doyle scurried off after his daughter and sighed before turning back to the rest of the family, aware that Stella and Tiger's attentions were on him, while everyone else continued to be amused by RJ's antics, with the exception of Verne who was trying futilely to figure out what was going on.

"You okay, Oz?" Stella asked him.

Ozzie shrugged. "I just don't want to lose my daughter, Stella. She used to be able to tell me everything, but... Well, ever since we got here, she's been distant and I just feel like she's hiding something."

"She's a young girl," Stella rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "There comes a time in every girl's life when she feels she needs to have her own life and to do that, she feels the need to keep things secret from her father. Don't worry about it, Ozzie."

Ozzie nodded, although the gesture was numb. He couldn't help thinking that maybe there was something about Heather's actions that went deeper than a teen girl's desire to be on her own.

He had no idea.

* * *

Doyle caught up with Heather rather quickly. Apparently one couldn't move very fast when they're bound and determined to stomp on everything in their path to express their anger. A smarter person would have left her alone to simmer, but Doyle had never been known for his intelligence. Unfortunately, Heather had never been known for her patience.

In other words, the conversation was doomed before it ever began.

"Heather, are you okay?" He asked, knowing vaugely that it was probably a really stupid thing to begin a conversation with.

"Does it look like I'm okay?" She narrowed her eyes dangerously at him.

He didn't get the picture. "No... No, it doesn't. Look, you can talk to me... I'm your friend. Just tell me what's wrong."

Heather froze, her body shaking with anger. What was wrong? What was _wrong_? Everything she had ever wanted- at least at this point in time- was falling apart all around her. Her heart was breaking in her chest, and instead of being sad and depressed, she was _angry _about it. Angry because by coming here, someone better than her had come along and stolen away something she desperately wanted. If they had been able to live the rest of their lives in that stupid snip of a forest instead of being forced out, she could have been the one.

And now... Now she'd never be!

"RJ's in love," she scowled. She had to tell someone, otherwise she'd be forced into a passive-agressive state that, if left alone, would eventually cause her to snap and kill everyone... Or something to that effect. She hated that the "someone" was Doyle, but he was the only one available and, thus, the only one she felt apt to tell.

"So?"

She snapped. "So? _So! _Can't you get it through your thick skull that I'm in love with him and have been since the moment I first met him?"

"Isn't he a little old for you?" Doyle piped up, once again not allowing his brain to steer his mouth, and thus letting his ignorance show.

"Shut up!" Heather growled. She'd never gotten this angry before, which was odd since she was a brooding teenage girl and brooding teenage girls were prone to bouts of anger. She supposed she just never had a real reason to get angry before now. He scowled and turned away from Doyle. "This whole situation sucks."

Doyle thought about letting _his _emotions call the shots for him in this situation, but made an uncharacteristically wise decision not to. He had decided that he was in love with Heather when he first met her, but unfortunately he had quickly discovered that he wasn't up to code with what she considered "worth her time." He could have gotten angry with her, vehemently expressing his distaste that she'd forsake his devotion to her for the love of someone who didn't and would probably never love her.

However, he didn't. He just stood there and sighed. "I agree."

* * *

Ruby returned not long after RJ did, having gone off alone to collect her bearings and recover fully from her awful nightmare. She was greeted by the sight of RJ dancing around like a complete idiot with his family, laughing joyfully. She watched this display for a long time, a delighted smile creeping onto her face.

"Boy, he looks like someone gave him the night of his life."

Ruby turned to see Velma leaning casually against a nearby tree, a coy smirk on her face. "Come to think of it, when was the last time you slept at home?"

"_Velma_," Ruby whined, more than slightly embarassed, "_please_..."

Velma laughed at her friend's obvious humiliation. "I've barely seen you for the past three days, aren't I allowed a little fun?" She paused and shook her head a little at Ruby's discomfort. "But compared to you, his little display is nothing. You, my dear, are positively glowing."

Ruby blushed and turned away, but she couldn't hide her happiness. Velma could sense it radiating off of her like a bright, shimmering aura. The truth was, she was happier than she'd ever been in a long time, mostly due to her newfound relationship with RJ which had filled a void in her heart that had been eating her up on the inside for years. However, there was another reason for her undeniable joy. A fact she couldn't deny. She had asserted herself enough to break free of her submission to Xylia, and that was a cause for joy in itself. Still, she had a nagging sensation in the back of her head that kept whispering that when the time came she'd never be able to stand up and tell the regal wolf no. She looked to Velma, knowing she could give her the advice she sought... If she only knew the truth. Once again the desire to tell her best friend everything that she kept within herself- the secrets that she told no one. Once again, something made her back out, but this time she fought against it. RJ's life was in danger every second she was with him. Every word she whispered was driving a dagger further into his back and she was poisoning him a little bit with each gentle caress and sensuous touch. However, the fact remained that she knew if she were to open the floodgates of her dark, tainted past, she would probably drown in the deluge. Besides that, she wasn't sure if Velma was sensible enough to support her if she knew. Either way, she was risking losing someone she cared about.

Oh, what a tangled web this was.

Val's nasally voice suddenly rang out, as clear and irritating as a loud bell breaking up a quiet, peaceful evening. Though a part of Ruby was thankful for the distraction. "Okay, everyone, I've realized that we've never really given our new friends a proper welcome as a group, so I've decided to organize a little party in their honor." A cheer rang out. "And it's going to take place tonight!" The cheers instantly tapered out as the valley residents looked to Val, unmasked horror on their faces.

"Val, there's no way we can prepare for something of that magnitude in one afternoon," Sadie said.

"Why not? Tristan just brought us our food yesterday so we've still got plenty to have a decent little get-together," Val said, obviously not getting the picture.

"But we haven't thrown a party in _years_," whined a female squirrel. "Not to mention, these guys aren't from around here. They might not like our kind of parties."

"It's not like we're not standing right here," Verne muttered.

"Allow me to be of assistance," RJ stepped up, using what could only be described as his "charming con man" voice, the use of which caused Verne to smack his forehead. The raccoon vanished for a moment into the underbrush and then returned with his bag, which he proceeded to rifle through much to the amazement of the valley animals who had never seen anything like this display in their lives. Seconds later, RJ produced a small, portable, battery-operated radio with a set of tiny speakers and gestured for Bucky, Quillo, and Spike to come over and hold the items up for everyone to see.

"What is _that_?" Val asked.

"Oh here he goes," Verne rolled his eyes. If RJ heard him, he chose to ignore it.

"That is what humans call a radio. They listen to it when they don't want to deal with other members of their species. It produces what they define as music in their terms, which ranges from being increasingly annoying to positively dulcet." He switched it on and a squeaky pop ballad blared through the speakers, causing all the animals to flinch. "That would be the example of annoying," RJ muttered, covering his ears before switching the station. This time soft, very pleasant music drifted out. There was a general chorus of "ooohs" and "ahhs" in the wake of it, and a few of the animals even swayed a little to the beat.

"It's nice and all that, but what are _we _going to use it for?" Reginald asked, a little skeptical.

"What else?" RJ smirked. He grabbed Val's paw and pulled her into a dip, causing the skunk to blush significantly at the action. He gave her a little twirl that sent her back to where she was standing and she gasped a little. "That was amazing!"

"You've never danced before?" He asked, addressing all of the animals in question. There was a general concensus of no. "You guys don't know what you're missing!" He snapped his fingers and looked to Tiger and Stella. "You two want to show them how it's done?"

"With pleasure," Stella smirked. "Tiger?"

Tiger didn't have to say a word. The music blaring from the radio suddenly became a sharp tango beat, and in response the Persian cat pulled a rose from a nearby bush and bit down on it before taking Stella in his arms as they both began to move sensuously to the music in the best imitation of a tango they could pull off, which was rather impressive all things considered. Everyone stared in awe of them as they moved rhythmically to the music, each step in perfect synch with the blaring trumpets and drum beats.

"Where did they learn to do that?" Verne asked RJ under his breath, obviously in complete shock.

"You know the Miller's?"

"Yeah."

"They don't shut their blinds... Ever. A couple could learn a lot more from that family than simply how to execute a proper tango."

The two of them turned back to Stella and Tiger who were reaching a crescendo in their dance. As the final notes blared out of existence, the two of them initiated a perfect sprint which ended with Stella fainting across one of Tiger's outstretched arms in a highly dramatic and effective pose. The crowd went wild, and suddenly the idea of a party didn't seem all that impossible an idea anymore. When the amazement wore off, they all dispersed to prepare for the bash to take place that night in their own ways. Heather, who had returned at some point during Stella and Tiger's dance, had learned of the whole plan from a casual observer and was suddenly intrigued by the whole idea. Her blue eyes found RJ in the crowd as he explained a few dance techniques alongside Tiger to a few animals around her age. Tonight would be the perfect opportunity to win RJ's heart for herself and prove to him that she's better for him than Ruby- after all, she _had _seen him first. Ruby was the homewrecker if anything.

She found Stella talking with Val, who was fawning over her in that way that only girlfriends can do, and made her way towards them, hoping they could help her. They were still talking about the tango _tour de force, _which had apparently been one of the best shows any of the residents of the valley had ever seen. Heather figured she'd have Stella teach her how to dance like that once she'd gotten RJ all to herself.

"Hi, guys," she spoke up, hating to interrupt but desperate for some female advice.

"Hey, Heather!" Stella beamed. "You feeling better? You had your father worried sick when you ran off like that. He was giving us the whole 'I'm losing my little girl' speal."

"That's dad," Heather chuckled nervously. "Anyway, I'm okay. I, uh, just wanted to know if you two could help me... Umm... Get ready for the party tonight."

Stella and Val exchanged looks and identical grins spread across their faces at the same time. Obviously, Heather wanted to impress someone, and they automatically assumed it was Doyle, not knowing what else to assume. How could they even begin to think that she had a crush on RJ? Sure, most teenage girls are attracted to the older bad boy types, but the fact was she had never shone any sign of having anything but respect and friendly adoration for RJ. She was just that good at hiding her feelings. Of course, it meant that her friends would draw a wrong conclusion that could prove emotionally fatal, but Heather didn't think of that. Her mind was made up.

"Of course, honey!" Val said, excitedly. "When I get done with you, the males in this place will be crawling all over themselves just to dance with you. Just trust your Auntie Val. She'll make you look marvelous!"

Stella leaned over and added in Heather's ear. "I'll make sure she doesn't mess you up too bad."

* * *

Doyle was still seething on the inside from Heather's rejection, but outside he was the picture of the calm and collected scholarly type that he was. It was just in his nature not to wear his negative emotions on his sleeve. Still, he couldn't help being completely insulted and upset about this whole ordeal. This party thing only made things significantly worse. He slumped onto a nearby log and watched everyone mull about with an air of disdain corrupting his person internally. He was only vaugely aware of the fact that someone had just sat beside him as he continued to think despairing thoughts watching as everyone rushed to get things done before nightfall.

"Doyle?" The young opossum looked up to see Ozzie on the log beside him, looking a little bit concerned.

"Hi, Mr. O," Doyle said, unable to hide how glum his voice sounded.

"I don't suppose you got through to Heather, did you?"

Doyle laughed sarcastically. "She won't even listen to me!"

"I was afraid of that," Ozzie muttered. The two male opossums let out two identical sighs and slumped their shoulders in defeat. "If it's any consolation, Doyle," he added after a moment, "I think you'd be the perfect boy for my daughter."

Doyle blinked in surprise and looked up at the older opossum. "Really?"

"Yes, and I wouldn't say that about anyone." He hopped off the log and faced Doyle. "So I'm going to give you some romantic advice so you can find the key to winning her heart."

"Are you kidding me?" Doyle balked. In a flash, his expression wavered to one of skepticism. "Why are you doing this for me?"

"Because I firmly believe if Heather falls for a nice boy, she'll stop being so moody and go back to being my little girl again... Or something to that effect. You see, my boy, I believe if all goes according to plan, we'll both get what we want."

"You know this is never going to work, right?"

Ozzie proceeded to smack him across the back of the head. "Lesson One, never think in the negative."

"What does that have to do with attracting women?" Doyle asked, rubbing his head.

"Women are attracted to confidence in a man."

"I'm not a naturally confident person, Mr. O." This earned him another light whack across the head.

"That brings us to Lesson Two," Ozzie replied. "Acting is the key to everything. If you can _act _like you're a confident, charismatic individual, then you will become a confident, charismatic individual. It's as simple as that."

Doyle raised a paw sheepishly. "But isn't that kind of like lying?" Once again, Ozzie hit him.

"It's _acting, _Doyle, not _lying. _There's a difference."

"One more question... Why do you keep hitting me!"

"Because pain is the best tool for teaching," Ozzie replied without missing a beat. "Now for Lesson Three..."

As Ozzie droned on, Doyle rubbed his head sourly and realized with an unsettling bit of displeasure that he had absolutely no clue what he had gotten himself into.

It was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

"Ouch! Velma, watch it with those torns," Ruby protested when yet another rose thorn found it's way into her fur. Her best friend was currently trying to place a handmade wreath of roses on her head, and so far the deed had proved difficult due to her nervous squirming coupled with the sharp thorns that kept poking her whenever Velma tried to place the wreath on her head.

"If you'd stand still for five seconds, maybe I could get it on," Velma replied, obviously weary of this game. With no due amount of gentleness, she shoved the wreath down on Ruby's head. There was a small gasp of surprise but no whimpers of pain followed, proving that she had finally succeeded in getting the damned thing on without the thorns objecting. Ruby tried to adjust it a little, but Velma smacked her paw away. "Don't touch it."

"Yes, _ma'am,_" Ruby scowled, rubbing her paw. She peered at her reflection in the spring that they had situated themselves beside in order to better prepare for the party without the distraction of all of the hustle and bustle that surrounded their little community. The face staring back at her startled her, because it didn't seem like her at all. There was too much grace and charm in those blue eyes. Too much confidence and beauty in her features. Had she really changed all that much on the outset when she realized her internal change? A wreath of roses could only do so much for someone's appearance, after all.

Velma's reflection joined hers in the water. "You look beautiful, Ruby."

"Thanks, Vel," the female raccoon whispered, still in awe of her own reflection. She wasn't a vain creature by nature, but rather she was a creature who had never considered herself beautiful at all until she was faced with an image that made her wish to rethink that self-analysis. It was a sobering mirror to look upon in her tormented state. All her fears and doubts were cast aside all of a sudden. She would enjoy this night with the man she loved, without regret and certainly without fear. Tomorrow, if she could stomach it, she would tell Velma everything and figure out where she went from here.

Tonight, however, was her night.

"What about you, Velma?" She cast a wry smile in the direction of her friend. "Aren't you going to doll up and primp a little?"

Velma scoffed. "Please, Ruby, I'm too old to go strutting around with the likes of the young, and I have no one to impress."

"What about _Verne_?" Ruby purred, her voice coming out in a teasing lilt. Velma tried to cover a blush.

"Ruby, I never-"

"You _like _him," Ruby said in a sing-song voice. "You _love _him."

"I do not!"

"You're a _liar._"

"And you're a few hairs short of a tail if you don't shut up," Velma said, trying to add a tinge of darkness to her voice, but she couldn't help laughing at the amusing "kissy faces" that Ruby was making to further accentuate her point. "You're terrible!"

"And you're in _love," _Ruby replied, a sincere smile on her face. She plopped down on the bank and began to make a daisy chain, humming to herself. Velma shook her head at the sight. How long had it been since Ruby had been as happy as she was now? Not since Aiden, that was for sure, but even then she hadn't been this... Light-hearted and carefree. She'd been like a scatterbrained kitten around Aiden, falling all over herself to please him and always looking up at him with shining, adoring sapphire eyes. One would hardly have called it love if they only rarely bore witness to it. Even in their more romantic moments, Velma couldn't recall Ruby ever being so helplessly infatuated. She had to assume it was because of the passion RJ had instilled in her, breathing a life that was thought to have been dead back into her tragedy-battered body.

She had no idea that it had less to do with the passion and more to do with the risks involved. After all, they say love always tastes sweeter in the heart of a dangerous situation. That thought never crossed Velma's mind. All she saw was that her friend was, for the first time in a long time, deliriously happy.

And that was all that mattered.

* * *

"You're in love with her, aren't you?"

"What kind of question is that?"

In the corner RJ had reserved as his own personal space, he and Verne found themselves preparing for the party, finally in peace after everyone had finally dispersed even more as night (and the party) began to draw nearer. RJ was currently trying to preen in the reflection of the back of his John Tesch CD while Verne looked on.

"It's a simple one," the turtle replied. "You've been acting weird for the past two days. What I don't understand is how the two of you mended all of your differences. You can't tell me there wasn't a deep sort of tension in your first meeting."

"We're both hiding things, Verne, and I'm not ashamed to admit it," RJ said.

"You know you can trust me, RJ... With anything," Verne said, taking slight offense to his friend's comment and feeling the ned to make note of that discreetly. It was only another painful reminder of how little he knew about this charismatic raccoon he had come to know these past two months. Hearing that sort of thing from Velma was one thing, but hearing it from RJ was a completely different and more painful matter entirely.

"I know," RJ sighed, tossing the CD haphazardly into his bag. "Oh, how I know... But the past is behind me, Verne, and I've got nothing left but my future."

"With her..." Verne said, his voice denoting his discontent.

"With all of you!" RJ protested, resting his paws on the turtle's shell. "You're my family and no female is going to stand in the way of that, no matter how pretty. And besides, don't you have a little honey muffin, yourself?"

"Velma is not a honey muffin nor is she any sort of sugary treat," Verne said, rolling his eyes. "She's just... A good friend."

RJ wasn't convinced. "A good friend you want to-"

"Don't finish that sentence," Verne narrowed his eyes. RJ just rolled his.

"You told me in the woods you liked her."

"And I do! I really, really do... But I don't know, what if she doesn't like me back?"

"Think that stopped me?"

"Well, you're reckless! ...And you don't have a fear of rejection."

"Fear of rejection?" RJ balked. "Verne... Man, when did you have time to develop a fear of rejection? Have you even seen a female of your own species before now?"

"Does my mother count?"

"No."

"...Then no."

"My point exactly," RJ pulled a brush from his bag and began to comb his fur with the practiced expertise of someone who was used to doing it often. "One cannot fear rejection unless one has been rejected."

"Who says that?"

"I do."

"Let's get back to you and Ruby and lay off me and Velma... How about it?"

"Sure, whatever you say," RJ shrugged, tossing his brush back in the bag as he went rummaging through it for something else.

"Are you sure you're not rushing into this?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Answer all of my questions with questions?"

RJ shrugged again. "You should ask better questions." He vanished into his bag, clawing through it like a dog digging for a bone. Verne rolled his eyes and massaged his temples. Trying to have a conversation with RJ without him being ambiguous was about as impossible as trying to explain anything to Hammy in a room filled with nuts. There was a part of him was actually happy for RJ, but since his friend was so reckless, he felt a strong desire to be tentative for him. There was just something about Ruby that he couldn't put his finger on, but he didn't like it. The last time he'd had this feeling, RJ wound up betraying both him and his family and while that ended all right in the long run, he couldn't always expect everything to get put away as neat and tidy as that when all was said and done.

Then again, this was RJ's problem and RJ had proven on many an occasion that he was perfectly capable of handling his own issues and he didn't need a neurotic turtle peeking over his shoulder, asking him constantly if he's sure that this is a good idea.

"Never mind," he finally said. "Just... Be careful, okay?"

RJ emerged from his bag with a cheap black bowtie that had apparently been stolen off of some little girl's teddy bear. "You know I will." He put the bowtie around his neck and turned to face Verne. "So how do I look?"

"Like an idiot," Verne replied with a wry smirk to show that he was mostly kidding.

RJ pulled out his CD again to examine for himself. "Or a Chippendale dancer, but I think I make it work." He tossed the CD back into the bag again, and smirked. "Shall we go?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope."

"Then we shall..."

* * *

Somewhere, several miles away from the community, an odd pair consisting of a mole and a field mouse wandered through the forest. They hadn't gotten caught up in the whole party idea as everyone else had, and were simply enjoying a pleasant walk through the forest while everyone else was otherwise occupied with the party.

"So you couldn't find anyone to go with either?" The mole asked.

"Nope."

There was also the simple fact that neither of them could find dates, and thus were trying to delay the inevitable discovery of the fact that they were complete losers.

Something rustled in the bushes and the two of them froze. "What was that, Harry?" The field mouse whimpered, latching onto the mole's leg. The mole shook him off.

"It's probably nothing." The rustling grew louder all of a sudden and he snatched up his field mouse friend and clutched him to his chest in fear. They stood there shuddering for a long time until the tall grass began to part and their fears were realized as the biggest, meanest snake they had ever laid eyes on slithered out before them. This was unusual as well as horrifying because there hadn't been a predator in the valley since...

...Since the reign of Amity and Cyril.

That was two years ago, when they were children, so what they knew of the villainous duo was restricted to bedtime stories told by their parents. They had always been taught that there was nothing to fear any longer, since those two were driven away. Queen Xylia kept the lands free of predators. She kept them safe. She'd _always _kept them safe with the exception of a dissappearance every now and then.

But if all that were true, then why was there a snake in front of them, looking as if it belonged here?

They tried to back away, but they were met by something soft and furry that blocked their path. Fearfully they looked up and found themselves staring into the golden glass eyes of a beautiful, yet deadly, female bobcat. _Now _it seemed that their worst fears had been realized, for these couldn't possibly be any ordinary predators daring to cross the Queen's borders on a whim.

These were the predators that mothers warned their children about.

"Hello," Amity purred. "Aren't you a little far away from home?"

"N-n-no, ma'am," the mole whimpered. The field mouse he held clutched in his arms squirmed.

"Shut up, man!" He squeaked.

"I'm sure you probably know who I am. Not many bobcats in this parts, I'm afraid... But have you met my friend Cyril?" she gestured to the snake. "He's been cooped up in a glass tank for a very long time, so you'll forgive him if he's a little... Unsociable."

"Let's just kill 'em, Amity," Cyril hissed. "I'm tired of waiting around."

"Did I ever tell you, Cyril darling, that your lack of patience is very unbecoming?"

"It's bad enough that Tristan busts us out of the Sanctuary and then doesn't tell us what his plan is right there and then. Oh no, that pretty boy fox forces us to wait until tonight, and until then..."

"We get in a good spot of violence, Cyril," Amity smirked. The mole and the field mouse tried to scurry away, but the bobcat stopped them with one deft movement of her paw. "Now see, Cyril, all this bickering is ruining our fun. I trust our friend Tristan to deliver and you should too."

"T-Tristan, you say?" The mole blurted out.

"Harry, shut up!" The mouse whined nervously.

"Oh, you weren't aware that your old pal Tristan was a Benedict Arnold?" Cyril snickered. "Shame you'll never live to let anyone know."

Amity laughed. "There's the rub!" She feigned a yawn. "But I do grow weary of talking, Cyril. Shall we?"

"Oh yes... We shall."

They suddenly struck without mercy and without much else in the way of warning. Neither the mole or the field mouse even had the slightest opportunity to scream.

* * *

Music wafted from a nearby tree where RJ's radio had been situated. All around, couples were paired off, swaying to the beat and following the movements of those who actually knew what they were doing. Nature provided them with all the decoration they needed for a party of this magnitude. Fireflies fluttered in place all around the trees, providing a beautiful source of light for them all, coupled with the crisp foliage and fragrant flowers that enveloped them in the space, all of which truly were the makings of a night to remember. Off to to side, stood two opossums watching the festivities, but not yet in the midst of them yet, one being too reluctant to make that leap.

"Ozzie, I don't think..." Sadie said, trailing off. "I mean, you're a wonderful guy and all, but... Oh, what if Bert were to come back and see us together?"

"Sadie," Ozzie said gently, taking her paws in his hands. "I'm not asking you to marry me, I'm just asking you to dance with me. One dance."

Sadie pondered this for a moment and then sighed, reluctantly offering Ozzie her arm. It was a small step in the general direction that the male opossum wanted to go, and he made a small apology to Iris for his blatent disregard for her feelings, wherever she was now. It wasn't as if he was particularly in love with Sadie or anything of the sort. It was just a kind of sympathy for her plight. She was lonely, obviously, and she looked like she'd had no one to show her a good time in a very long time. He only felt a strong desire to show her that good time, if she'd only let him.

Meanwhile, Heather poked her head out from behind a tree, keeping watch over the party, waiting for the proper moment to make her move. Stella and Val had worked wonders on her, and she looked so much older, so much more fetching now. Surely she'd be able to impress RJ tonight. The two female skunks seemed to think so, which pleased her immensely. At least she had _someone _on her side.

She saw RJ make his way into the crowd with Verne and she knew now was the time to make her move. With an air of allure, she strode through the couples and made her way towards the raccoon in question, stopping a few feet away from him. She then froze in what she hoped would be considered a seductive pose. It didn't take long for RJ to notice her, which she chalked up to her plan working out perfectly.

"Hi, Heather, and might I say you look absolutely lovely tonight." He spoke in that charismatic way that made her heart melt, but she tried not to let the attraction and desire show on her face as she turned to face him, forcing feminine charm to radiate off of her in waves as Stella and Val had told her to do. It hadn't seemed an easy or even possible feat, and they hadn't been able to explain it very well, so she has to take in a shot in the dark on whether or not she was doing it right. "Why thank you," she smiled, and then remembered that Val had told her it was always best to feign humility in these situations. "Although, I think I could look even better, but this whole party came up so fast, you know." She suddenly became aware that RJ was no longer looking at her, but was looking somewhere out beyond her. Whirling around, she realized quickly who now held all of his attention, robbing her of it.

Ruby.

"RJ?" Heather said, her voice coming out slightly strangled.

"Yeah... Be with you in a second, Heather," RJ replied, although his voice had the dreamlike quality of someone in a trance. He gently pushed past her moving towards the female raccoon. Heather suppressed a small growl of rage and made an attempt to storm off only to run right into the arms of Val and Stella.

"So when you said you wanted to look pretty tonight... It wasn't for Doyle, was it?" Val asked.

"No," Heather scowled, casting a look over her shoulder. "It wasn't for Doyle."

"Oh, honey," Stella said,pulling Heather into a tight hug. The young opossum was trying to resist the urge to cry. This was so unfair to her! Why was it that the one person she desperately wanted to be with didn't want to be with her?

"It's not fair," she said out loud, burying her face in Stella's chest.

"I know, baby, I know," Stella stroked her head. She exchanged a look with Val, and the two of them then looked at RJ who was talking to Ruby animatedly.

"Come here, honey," Val grabbed Heather by the paw and began to lead her towards the raccoon pair with Stella following. "RJ, can we borrow you for a second?"

RJ blinked a little in confusion. "Uhh..."

"That wasn't a request," Val broke in before she and Stella grabbed his shoulders and dragged him off, leaving Heather alone with Ruby.

"Uh, wait-" the young opossum tried to call out, but the two skunks were already gone and RJ with them. She cast a dark glance at Ruby and then crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to be haughty. Ruby knew that look. She may have bypassed her difficult years by being orphaned at such a young age, but she'd been through plenty of teenagers in the valley since she arrived two and a half years ago to know the sullen look of adolescence when she saw it.

"Do you want to talk about something?"

Heather gave her a cold look. "Not with you."

_Well, that's not what I was hoping for. _Awkwardness set in as the two of them stood staring at everyone dancing and having a good time. You could cut the tension between them with a knife.

"What is it about you that he likes so much?" Heather finally asked, her voice softer than it had been.

"Huh?" Ruby cocked her head in confusion.

"RJ... He's obviously in love with you. So why you?"

"Heather, do you like RJ?" Ruby asked as gently as she could without sounding condescending.

"What do you care? You've already got him," Heather rolled her eyes.

"You're obviously upset about this, but it's not entirely my fault. You can't help who you're attracted to, Heather, and you can't make someone love you. It's just something that happens." She placed a paw on Heather's shoulder, and the young opossum didn't shy away. "Look, I'm sure there's someone out there that's meant just for you. Someone who will treat you like a princess and love you more than anything." She hugged her a litte closer to her. "If people are meant to be together, they'll find each other, no matter where, no matter what. Just remember that." She looked out in the direction that RJ had been dragged off in, and smiled. "Isn't that right?" She whispered.

Heather smiled and laughed a little. "You know, I really wanted to hate you, but you've made a good point."

Ruby giggled. "Now see, that wasn't so hard, was it?" She was laughing on the outside, but on the insider she was fixated on the irony of the whole situation. She could solve the problems of everyone she met, but she couldn't even begin to solve her own.

* * *

"WHAT!"

"Heather's got a crush on you!"

"I heard you the first time, but... What!"

Stella and Val had wasted no time in telling RJ the truth of the matter, a matter that he was completely unaware of apparently. Then again, Heather hadn't exactly been incredibly obvious with her feelings and any casual observer would have just seen sisterly adoration in the way she looked at RJ, and nothing more than that. Even if she had shown her feelings, RJ knew without saying so that he wasn't attracted to her and saw her as nothing more than a friend. It was an emotion that had nothing to do with Ruby, but it wasn't something no one wants to have to explain for fear of hurting feelings and losing friends.

"Poor kid... I had no idea," RJ paced up and down behind a section of trees where Val and Stella had taken him. The party was still in full swing beyond them and even from here a funky latino beat could be heard blaring from the radio. "How am I going to break this to her."

"Gently," Stella said. "She's fragile right now and if you break her heart, Ozzie's gonna break your legs."

"I wouldn't have guessed Oz was so violent," RJ winced at the thought.

"Oh when it comes to Heather, Ozzie's a maniac," Stella said in a tone that made her words come out almost like some sort of threat.

RJ poked his head out of the group of trees and found Heather talking with Ruby. "I think I have an idea." He moved away, not even bothering to tell Val and Stella he was leaving, and swaggered over to the duo, deep within conversation. When he was mere inches from them, he cleared his throat and offered a paw to Heather. "May I have this dance?"

Heather blinked in confusion and looked to Ruby who stifled a small giggle at the display and urged her to go on. As RJ led the teenager off, he gave the female raccoon a wink over his shoulder which she returned, shaking her head with a bright smile. The music changed to something softer and more elegant and all of the animals swayed gently to the beat, including RJ and Heather. "What were you and Ruby talking about?" He asked.

"Oh, girl stuff," Heather replied. RJ twirled her around and dipped her with one debonair motion.

"You know I really do care about you, kid."

"It's okay. You don't have to pretend," Heather shook her head with a small smile, showing that she held no more hard feelings towards the way things were going.

"Who says I'm pretending?" RJ pulled her into a carefully executed sprint. "One day you're going to meet a guy who makes you happy..." At that moment he saw Doyle walk in out of the corner of his eye and a smile crossed his face. "And I think that day is today." He turned her around so that she could see the young male opossum, who was walking with a more confident stride than usual. Heather couldn't help but think that he seemed a little less dorky than usual and smiled in spite of herself. "Go to him, kid. He's waiting for you," she heard RJ whisper in her ear.

"Thanks, RJ." She turned to face him and bit her lip as if debating something and then finally stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheek before turning to go. "Hey, Doyle!" She called and by the time she had his attention, she had grabbed him by the arm and was dragging him off somewhere to dance. RJ had to laugh in spite of himself at that display.

Someone slipped an arm around his and he didn't have to look to tell it was Ruby. She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Now...Do you want to go to a real party?"

RJ turned to face her, a wry smile playing across his features. "Do bees be? Do bears bear? Does Spock beam up?"

Ruby laughed. "That better be your sorry excuse for a yes." She led him away, practically dragging him along with her in her desire to get away again. The only one who bore witness to their exodus, however, was Velma who was currently dancing with Verne, wearing the diasy chain Ruby had been making on the stream bank around her neck. She smiled as she watched them leave, which didn't go unnoticed by Verne.

"What is it?" He asked.

Velma shook her head. "It's all just so romantic." For a long time they stared into each others' eyes and then finally they moved in for the kiss, creating an even more magical moment just for themselves.

It was still a beautiful night, a night of a thousand stars, and everything was perfect.

And nothing could ever spoil that.

* * *

Hammy, Sammy, and Bianca had bypassed the party altogether, mostly because it just wasn't their forte, so they had decided to make their own fun by making a night of playing tag out in the forest, which had been a most enjoyable experience for all of them. Even they were having a good time just like everyone at the party.

"Tag! You're it!" Hammy giggled, tackling Bianca before skirting off with Sammy right behind him. Bianca groaned, being relatively calmer in nature than the two crazy squirrels, she detested being "it." She skipped off, following them as best she could, but she'd already lost them in the trees. She rolled her eyes and crossed her tiny arms over her chest.

"Not funny, guys! You know I'm not _that_ fast!"

There was no reply and she trudged through the forest, grimacing. She stopped suddenly as her foot touched something wet and sticky on the ground and she backed up, too frightened to look down. The forest seemed to close in around her and every noise seemed to beat a cruel tattoo against her skull, telling her that she was about to faced with something very frightening. Finally, she forced herself to look down, knowing she'd have to face that fear...

...And she screamed.

Her cries alerted Hammy and Sammy who were at her side immediately, but by the time they reached her she had gone silent, shuddering in fear. It didn't take long for the two squirrels to see what had scared her so badly and they both gasped in shock at the sight.

Lying on the forest floor was an animal corpse, mutilated beyond all recognition.

---------

**A/N: **_Wow... That wasn't my best chapter, but oh well. Sorry it took so long to get it up. I couldn't make my Document Manager work. Heh..._


	8. Paradise Lost

**A/N: **I love life thanks to the wonderful reviews I've received. Thanks so much everyone! I'd like to take this time to tell you that I have the entire story mapped out in detail right now and will be working on it as best I can despite all the shiny distractions that occasionally attack my ADD with a vengeance. (Drat that _Feeling Electric _cast recording... And those LJ fanfiction challenges!) There will be a grand total of eleven chapters with a epilogue. (So with the prologue and the epilogue, the actual total is thirteen chapters. Oooh what a number.)

Before anyone asks, I'd also like to note that I'm probably not going to write a sequel to this story though that doesn't mean I'm finished with the OTH section. I may drop by with some songfics or something... Plus, I have another lovely plot bunny for this section which is bound to please those of you who enjoy a good comedy. It's prequel-ish, set before the movie, and I'm rather fond of the idea. If I'm not suffering from burn-out by the time I finish this, I'll be sure to get it up. Hehehe...

Anyway, this chapter is more of an expositional/transition chapter so that I can get all the mysteries that I've been hinting at out of the way and keep the plot moving without those elusive answers bogging it down. So sorry if it's a little bit slow... And quite a bit latecoming... Oh I thought I said I'd stop this already!

Onward!

**Disclaimer: **_See previous chapters.

* * *

_

"_**For who would lose, though full of pain, this intellectual being, those thoughts that wander through eternity, to perish rather, swallowed up and lost in the wide womb of uncreated night, devoid of sense and motion?"- John Milton

* * *

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_**Chapter Seven- Paradise Lost**_

Tristan had his own personal cave in the valley, which had long ago been discarded by Xylia's wolves in favor of the one at the top of the mountain. It wasn't an entirely proud establishment, but then again, Tristan's station was so exceedingly low, he was lucky to have even that to make his home in. Metaphorical weasels in the clockwork of grander schemes took what they could get and dealt with it as best they could. Tristan took his shame with a grain of salt, because he knew he was smarter than Xylia really gave him credit for, and he was about to prove it. He had the pawns in place, the die was cast, and the game was about to begin.

He could hardly hide his pleasure when Amity and Cyril arrived inside of his little abode, reeking of death. Amity was in the process of licking fresh blood off of her lips while Cyril's long body was disfigured somewhere in the middle by a small oddly shaped lump that had to have been his latest meal.

"Amity," the snake said with a slight whine. "You shouldn't have let me hunt... You know how lethargic I get after I've eaten."

"Pish," Amity smirked, waving him off with the shake of a paw. She turned her sights to the red fox and grinned. "Oh, Tristan, I owe you so much. There's nothing like a good hunt after two years of imprisonment."

"Glad I could be of service," Tristan smirked. "Now, as I promised, we must get to business."

Amity shuddered with delight. "I only hope you're as clever as you think you are, Tristan."

Tristan didn't dignify that with a comment and simply retreated into the darker portion of his cave, returning several seconds later with a map clutched in his teeth. He deposited it at Amity's feet and unrolled it, revealing a map of the Silver Springs Wildlife Preserve, a large portion of which had been circled in black sharpie. "This;" the fox placed a paw in the middle of the circle, "is what's known as Ranger's Folly. It's a deep gully surrounded on all sides by dense trees. The rangers around here can't get down there at all. However, poachers have found some creative ways to beat the system, and have used it as a haunt for years, simply because the rangers aren't smart enough to figure out how to stop them- thus the name 'Ranger's Folly.' Anyway, the rangers have just moved the animals away from the area in hopes they can discourage the poachers, but it doesn't help much. They keep fresh traps down there all the time and every now and then some poor sap gets caught."

"So what are you suggesting, Tristan?" Cyril asked.

"Don't get ahead of me, boy," Tristan held up a paw. "I know my way around this place well enough to ensure we have a home field advantage. All we have to do is get Xylia and her troops prepared for war and set the playing field there. She'll be so cocky, thinking she's just taking on the three of us, she won't even realize it's a trap. She and her wolf brigade get into that gully and SNAP! They're game for the poachers, and there's not a single wolf left in the valley."

"There's just one flaw," Cyril spoke up again. "What about the poachers, themselves?"

"They only come down once a week when the college kids are running things and the real rangers are too busy to keep tabs on the area. I'll personally made sure that our plan doesn't go down when they're present."

"It sounds almost too good to be true," Amity scowled. "How do I know to believe what you're saying?"

"Because you know how desperately I want my dignity back," Tristan said sincerely. "You know how badly I need something like this to happen and fast. Now, Amity, you know I can't do this alone."

Amity smiled and crossed over to Tristan. "Very well," she purred, her golden eyes glinting with a serene sort of menace. "Cyril and I shall play your game, but know this, my dear Tristan. If I feel your plan will endanger my life or Cyril's life in any way, then I will kill you. You can't betray me and live, Tristan. Remember that."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Tristan replied, unflinching even under the glassy-eyed stare of the female bobcat. He was too desperate to turn against her. He'd made his bed by releasing her and now he had to lie in it, and if he got what he wanted out of this ordeal, it would be a very peaceful sleep, indeed.

It wasn't dignity he sought in truth, however. That much was a lie. He was desperate for the love of a female who had spurned him many a time when all he ever dreamed of was her love. He blamed Xylia deeply for that. She pushed him into such a low station, refusing to recognize his talents, and thus allowing no room for respect from anyone, least of all Ruby. If he had power, he could win her heart, and even if that weren't so, he could _make _her love him. The thought excited him and he reveled in it silently, for he knew if Amity knew the truth, she would spurn his weakness and feel less inclined to trust him and his judgement. A villain driven by love and not a lust for power isn't truly a villain at all, just a misguided, desperate, lovelorn fool. He preferred to be thought of as a villain when a label became a neccesary evil. It was better for everyone that way.

"So have you given thought to happens afterwards, Tristan?" Cyril asked, disrupting the fox's thought. "If we do manage to take the valley, what comes next?"

Tristan simply smiled. "When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The snake hissed.

Tristan shook his head, but his smile widened a bit. "Nothing. Just reaping the benefits of a classical education."

* * *

Ruby and RJ had once again found themselves out of the thralls of the community, which despite its warmth and hospitality could be construed as smothering, especially to two raccoons wrapped in the bonds of love. Romantic settings and dancing could only sate a budding romance for long, after all.

"Well, there doesn't seem to be another party around here. So tell me, Ruby, where did you have in mind for us to go?" RJ asked as the two of them walked through the dark forest, the fingers of their black paws tangled together. Ruby sighed dreamily and shook her head, only a stroke of luck keeping her crown of roses firmly situated.

"Where would you like to go?" She asked him. At random, RJ twirled her in one perfect circle and caught her other paw as she faced him again. The two raccoons looked into each other's eyes and Ruby stifled a small giggle for fear it would spoil the moment.

"That place you found me," he replied, the smile never leaving his face. Her smile, however, vanished the instant the words were released into the air. She freed her paws from his and wrapped her arms around her small body as if fending off some sort of cold that only she could feel.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea," she said, softly.

"Why not?" RJ asked, his voice and expression suddenly very serious.

"Because you know what happened last time. I don't want to see you like that again."

He pulled her into his arms, cuddling her gently. "You won't. I promise. I just need to face my fears."

"_Now?_" Ruby snorted a little.

"Yes, now," RJ replied seriously.

"Can't we just go to the campgrounds... Do something romantic? RJ, I can't take you to a place that nearly destroyed you emotionally the last time you were in it."

"I want to go to that place, Ruby," RJ said, pulling away from her a little so that he could look her in the eyes. "What is it anyway?"

Ruby turned away from him. "It's called the Sanctuary. It's a place where humans take injured or orphaned animals and take care of them. I used to go there with Aiden..." She trailed off, realizing she had yet to explain him to RJ. She was hoping she could avoid doing just that a little longer, but she knew she couldn't. If she didn't do it now, she would probably never do it.

"Who was Aiden?" The male raccoon asked just as she expected he would.

"Aiden was..." She choked, trying to resist the urge to cry as she had the last time this question had cropped up in a conversation with RJ. "Aiden was... Was my mate. I guess... I-I guess you could call him that. He died."

The finality of her last two words told RJ that he didn't need to press further. He turned away from her and sighed, knowing he owed her an explanation, himself. "Two years ago- when I was Heather's age, I guess-, my entire family was killed. I tried to escape, but I got caught in a briar bush and was trapped there, unconscious and bleeding, for I don't know how long. When I woke up, I was inside of a cage in a place just like your Sanctuary. I was there for a year until someone let me out... I have no idea to this day who, and I really don't care much. I'm just happy to be free today."

"Seeing it brought back bad memories for you, didn't it?" Ruby asked. RJ just nodded dumbly, unable to speak. It had been the first time he had ever shared that story with anyone and it left him feeling slightly numb inside. The she-raccoon realized his discomfort and this time she pulled him into her arms, comforting him.

"If you want to face your past, then I won't stop you," she said. "I'll take you there."

"Thank you," he said, nuzzling her. "Maybe the pain'll go away if you're there with me."

They broke apart and began walking together, no longer hand in hand for this was no longer a romantic moment. It was a moment of absolving all their demons. Ruby was tempted to share her own sordid past, but she knew that she couldn't tell all for fear of losing what she had just so recently gained. She wasn't ready to let the joy she felt with RJ slip away so easily. Still, she felt the need to shed a little more light into her shadowed world. "My parents died when I was little too," she said softly, causing RJ to look at her. "Killed by humans, or so I've been told. I didn't see what happened. Queen Xylia took me in after that and made me her ambassador. I owe my entire life to her, and so I have to serve her without question." _Isn't that the truth, _an obnoxious voice spoke up from the back of her head. She banished it with a small grimace.

"Is that what you were dreaming about this morning?" RJ asked her. "Your family?"

Ruby tried to hide the look of pain that crossed her face. "No," she said truthfully. "It wasn't."

"Aiden?"

Ruby nodded. "I don't want to talk about that," she added sadly. RJ didn't press and they continued the rest of their journey in respectful silence, allowing each other to process the darkness within themselves that had ebbed to to the surface in their conversation.

* * *

"I thought you said this place was safe?" Verne asked, unable to hide the frustration in his voice. Velma was shaking all over, but he didn't seem to notice. He was too completely wrapped up in his own fears in the wake of the discovery of the mutilated corpse of a mole named Harry. His best friend, a field mouse named Jack, was missing and presumed dead as well. Verne couldn't help being completely enraged by this fact, seeing as he had been led to believe that his family would be safe in this place and the thought that this wasn't true in the least bit didn't sit well on the reptile, making him thoroughly irritable.

"It _was,_" Velma replied, her voice shaking. Only then did Verne realize that this was having an effect on her as well. For the smallest of moments, he felt bad about ignoring her feelings, but he couldn't deny his own fears. It had nothing to do with himself, so he felt his selfishness was justifiable. He just had to be sure and certain his family wasn't in any kind of danger. The fact that it had been Hammy (or at least the group he was with) who discovered the body made him quiver, because he knew if they had been in that very spot earlier, they all might have been killed as well. He shook his head. He didn't want to think about Hammy ripped to shreds on the forest floor. The thought made him sick to his stomach and he had to choke back the bile that rose in his throat at the image.

He wasn't certain why, but at that moment he recalled the fox- Tristan, he believed his name was- who had told them about the Vanishings that often occured in this place two days ago. No one had seemed very inclined to talk about them, and when Reginald first brought up the subject even before Tristan showed up, the effect it had on the valley residents was apparently negative. Drawing on his courage, he dared to ask again, desperate to know if the Vanishings were in any way connected to the recent murders.

"What are the Vanishings, Velma?" He asked. Velma visibly tensed.

"We don't talk about that. Please, Verne, don't bring it up..."

"What are they?" Verne pressed. "When did they start?"

Velma sighed, realizing she wasn't going to get away from answering his infuriating questions. "About two months after Ruby came."

Verne's eyes widened. "What? And you never once thought the two of them were connected?"

Velma whirled on him, green eyes flashing with anger. "How dare you even suggest such a thing?"

"You're blinded by your loyalty to her," Verne accused, his voice rising a little, a gesture that Velma wasn't particularly fond of and it showed on her face.

"If I am, then let it be," the female turtle scowled. "But I know better than to believe Ruby could ever have a hand in the Vanishings."

"Why?"

Velma scowled, her voice turning cold as it rose an octive, itself. "Because Aiden was the first to go, and any fool could see Ruby loved him more than life!"

Verne didn't miss a beat. "Who was Aiden?"

Velma didn't reply. She turned away from him and for the first time Verne realized that his desperation for answers had driven her away. His face softened but she didn't turn around to see it. She shook with either rage or tears- it was hard to tell which-, and then finally whispered coldly, "Get out."

"Velma, I-"

"I said, GO!" Velma shouted. Verne didn't need to be told again. With a heavy heart, he retreated from the hollow, knowing there was a price to pay for an undying devotion to one's family. It didn't matter to him, however. He couldn't forsake his loved ones for the sake of passion, and if knowing the truth about this so-called paradise would save his family, then it was worth the loss of Velma's love.

Or so he tried hard to make himself believe.

He had to get his mind off that, however. He still needed answers and he needed them soon. Luckily for him, his family had already banded together in the face of this tragedy, which saved him the trouble of having to round them up himself. All of them looked rather shaken up due to the aftereffects of realizing that their perfect paradise did have its secrets which they weren't aware of. It probably wouldn't have scared them if they knew there were risks before they settled into this place they called their new home, but since their paradise had been fabricated, it made the situation all the more painful and frightening.

"Is everyone okay?" Verne asked as he approached them. They all nodded numbly, but he knew they were just telling him what he wanted to hear so that he wouldn't worry about them. His mind raced as he tried to figure out the proper words to say next, but he was still reeling from his confusion. Finally, he tossed caution to the wind and asked the question that had been plauging him ever since he first heard it. A single name had been thrown about many times in this place, but no one would ever explain the creature to whom the name was attached.

"Aiden," he said simply. Ears perked at the mention of the simple name, and he went on. "I've heard that name more times than I can count while we've been here. It's one of the many mysteries of this place, and like every other mystery no one seems inclined to talk about it. You've heard the name too, I assume?"

"Doyle told me he was a raccoon," Heather spoke up.

"That makes sense," Verne nodded. "All Velma would tell me about him was that Ruby was once in love with him.. Before he vanished."

"Like Bert and Harold," Ozzie murmered.

"And no one knows why they just vanished like that?" Stella asked. The other animals shook their heads and there was a moment of silence as they all reflected on this in quiet desperation. Too many secrets, not enough answers...

And one animal who seemed to know everything...

The thought hit Verne like a bolt of lightning. Of course! Reginald had proven on numerous occasions that he knew more than his own good should allow, as demonstrated by everyone in the valley's desperate attempts to silence the rabbit whenever he opened his mouth. If anyone would be willing to talk, it'd be him!

"Come on," Verne jerked his head in the direction of Reginald's rosebush. "I think we have a rabbit to see."

* * *

The rosebush that had been noted as the home of the eccentric rabbit was located just a little bit out of the protective circle of trees that enveloped the community. Right in front of it was a large round rabbit hole that signified the entrance to the warren, which Verne and his family (sans Heather, much to her chagrin, and the triplets) now circled around, all of them peering into the darkness.

"Uh, Reggie?" Verne leaned over, calling into the black. "Reginald? Are you home?"

There was no answer, and when several seconds of silence passed, Stella began to grow impatient. She planted her paws on her hips and tapped her foot, waiting a few more seconds before finally giving up completely on the waiting game. "I know how to get him out of there." There was a collective nervous gasp from her friends which was met with a green-eyed glare. "Not like that..." Without another word, she dove into the warren and seconds later the sound of a scuffle could be heard.

"What! Woman, what are you doing in my home?"

"We need to have a chat with you, Reggie."

"What? Wait! Unhand me this instant!"

Stella emerged from the hole dragging Reginald by his long ears. The rabbit glowered at her and struggled to get free, but the skunk would have none of it. Finally, he gave up the fight and narrowed his brown eyes. "What do you want with me?"

"We need to talk to you about Aiden," Verne said simply. The look on Reginald's face turned from anger to complete and utter shock.

"No... We don't talk about that;" he tugged himself free of Stella's grip and fell back into his warren with a loud thud. Seconds later he poked his head out again. "I'm terribly sorry, but I can't help you." He vanished again and Stella made a move to grab his ears once more, but he was too quick for them.

"Please," Verne pleaded, futilely calling down into the hole again. "We have to know."

"You're better off not knowing," Reginald's voice called back. "Now, please go and leave me in peace."

"Please, Verne," Tiger spoke up, shoving the turtle gently away from the hole, "allow me to talk with him. I happen to be very persuasive."

"Be my guest," Verne said, figuring something was better than nothing and yelling at the rabbit wasn't doing much good. Tiger vanished into the hole as Stella had done previously with no complications, proving how spacious the warren was, which was to be expected since Reginald was a rather large rabbit.

It didn't take long before a similar conversation that had occured when Stella had ventured into the warren began to transpire.

"I thought I told you to go away!" The rabbit snapped. "Hey... What are you doing? Don't come any closer, you ruffian! I said get away! Argh!" What followed after the frightened yelp were several wince-worthy noises that signified a rather one-sided fight. Several moments later, Tiger poked his head out of the hole looking rather smug, much to Verne's utter horror since he was rather hopeful that this ordeal wouldn't end in any sort of violence, though it apparently had.

"He'll talk to us now," the Persian cat grinned before vanishing down the hole again. The rest of the family followed him, while Stella made a grunt of approval.

"That's my man!" She joyfully bragged.

Tiger led them down the tunnel to the main part of Reginald's warren where the rabbit was currently sitting and nursing one of his ears which had been lightly clawed- not enough to really hurt him, but enough to make him sulky.

"You really have to forgive Tiger," Verne said, wincing a little at the slight wound.

Reginald make a noise of discontent. "You shouldn't be so desperate to stick your nose in this. You'll regret it."

"Even so, I have to know," Verne said softly.

The rabbit couldn't deny that he saw a hint of desperation pass over the reptile's features, and he sighed. "You're not going to like this, but I'll tell you. Make yourselves comfortable." He stood up, tossing his injured ear over his shoulder with its partner while the animals settled down, prepared to hear the truth about the place they had believed to be a paradise.

"It all started four years ago," he started. "This area was crawling with predators of all sorts and no one was safe. No matter how many times we migrated, they always found us. Our little community just couldn't hold itself together. Then Tristan came to us and said that the humans were introducing a pack of wolves into the area for some reason. We were horrified at first, but the wolves chased the predators away, and we were inclined to trust them, especially when Queen Xylia approached us for the first time."

"Wait, Queen Xylia is a wolf?" Ozzie balked.

"Yes, but she's not evil at all. She promised to protect us and keep all the predators away, and she's kept her word."

"Except for the two deaths," Verne muttered.

Reginald sighed and paced a little. "I'm getting to that. Two years after Queen Xylia and her pack settled here, she brought us a young raccoon kit named Ruby and left her in Velma's care. A couple months later we were greeted by another raccoon, this one a little older and male who called himself Aiden. Everyone loved him instantly, especially Ruby. She was old enough to mate by then and she latched onto him rather quickly. The two of them were inseperable. But more to the point, it was also around that time that deaths were starting to occur. Ruby, as ambassador to the queen, immediately told Queen Xylia who found out that the deaths were being caused by a bobcat and a snake called Amity and Cyril. The queen couldn't stand this blatent disregard for her boundaries and called for a war against the infuriating creature. Aiden rose to the occasion and managed to get the duo captured by humans. After that, his image as a hero amongst us was sealed completely and his relationship with Ruby grew. Just when we thought things were looking up for us, however, Aiden simply vanished into the blue. Not long afterwards, others began to disappear as well."

"Like Sadie's husband," Ozzie said.

"And Sara's husband," Penny whispered before adding a very solemn, "Jeepers..."

"And my wife," Reginald said, his voice becoming rather grave. This caused the animals to gasp.

"Your wife too?" Stella blinked, her paw covering her mouth.

"No doubt you've heard the sob stories of all the missing, except for my dear Sheila, haven't you? Yes, well... Sheila and I were far from respected members of the community even though we were two of the oldest residents, aside from Velma. Crazy Reggie with his theatrics and Sheila with her chronic depression. I suppose it was a mercy she was taken... She was just never suited for this life."

"Reginald, I-" Ozzie started to say. He knew what it was like to lose a loved one and understood the pain of having a personality flaw, so to speak, that few really respected and even less saw as an artform. However, his condolences were never verbalized for Reginald simply shook his head, brushing him off.

"Don't," the rabbit said softly. "Let the dead bury the dead and let an old rabbit live with his memories in peace."

There was a moment of silence and then Verne dared to break the mood. "So you're saying that Amity and Cyril have probably escaped and they're responsible for the killings?"

Reginald, obviously thankful for the change of subject, nodded soberly. "It would seem so. No one else has enough gall to openly defy the queen like that."

"But the Vanishings," Lou spoke up. "They couldn't have been done by Cyril and Amity there, could they?"

"My money is still on Ruby," Verne said, voicing his suspicion. This caused a general gasp of shock from his family.

"Verne," Stella gaped. "You're saying Ruby kidnapped all those animals?"

"I don't know what I'm saying," Verne stood up and began to pace, rubbing his head despondantly. "All I know is that these so-called Vanishings took place two months after Ruby arrived, correct?" Reginald nodded. "Not only that, but she's the ambassador to the queen, isn't she?" Again, Reginald nodded, but nervous anxiety was starting to show on his face. "She's the only one of you in contact with the queen, right?"

"Aside from Tristan," the rabbit agreed. "If you wanted my vote, I'd say he was responsible. No one really trusts him around here and it was a well-known fact that he hated Aiden."

"He has a point there, Verne," Penny said. "Why would Ruby kill her true love?"

"I don't know," Verne shook his head. "But I think we're missing something and until we know the full truth, I don't know if it's a good idea to leave RJ and Ruby alone together. We have to go out and find RJ."

"What?" Reginald balked. "You can't go out at night, not if Cyril and Amity are really out there, and besides you'll never find your way through the forest."

"That's why you're gonna go with us," Stella said darkly.

"Absolutely not!" The rabbit snapped, but one look from Tiger's glass-blue eyes caused him to smack his head and sigh in agitation. "Fine."

"Good," Verne nodded. He scanned the faces of his family, all of them prepared to set out into the unknown to look for their friend and family member. However, it seemed someone was missing. It didn't take him long to realize who and he mentally smacked himself for not realizing it sooner.

"Where's Hammy?"

* * *

Bianca was still reeling from her discovery of the mutilated corpse in the woods. She sat in her hollow, rocking back and forth, crying softly to herself and was only vaugely aware that someone had entered her home uninvited. Something soft and furry wrapped itself around her tiny body and only then did she look up into the friendly green eyes of a red squirrel.

"Hi, Hammy," she said, her tiny voice cracked and hoarse. It was hard to believe that he could still be smiling at a time like this. She supposed it was because he was so innocent... Like Sammy, who didn't let anything phase him. With him, however, it was infuriating. With Hammy, however... Well, she couldn't quite place it. It was a more sincere sort of oblivion, like he was stuck perpetually in the mindset of a child- he knew she was upset and what to do to make her better, but he didn't know that this was a reason for him to be sad as well, whereas Sammy was simply oblivious because he didn't like to deal with things that upset him.

"You okay?" He asked, his smile never wavering.

She nodded solemnly. "I'm fine... I'm just... Well, a little freaked out." She used the tip of Hammy's tail to dab at her watery eyes and Hammy allowed her. "It's funny... I've never seen you stand still for this long since you've been here;" she changed the subject, ending with a small giggle.

Hammy shrugged. "I was tired and I was about to go to sleep when I heard someone crying, and I peeked inside here and saw you and thought you might like some company." Even if he was calm in body, his mouth still ran 90 to nothing and Bianca had to laugh again at the way his words seemed to run together as he spoke.

"I'm okay now," she smiled. It wasn't a lie. She found Hammy to be an amusing creature, which she found odd since he did resemble Sammy rather acutely, and while she was friends with Sammy, she certainly didn't get all... Well, _giddy _when she was with him.

"Okay!" Hammy chirped and started to climb out of the hollow, scaling the trunk of the tree to the ground. She watched him go and made a move to follow him, only to become aware that Hammy had suddenly been joined by the animals he had arrived here with- his family, as he called it- and Reginald. Curious, she discreetly climbed down the tree and landed with a thump just behind the assembled group, listening in on their conversation.

"There you are, Hammy," Verne said with a sigh of relief. "I was worried whatever's out there had gotten you too."

Hearing this, Hammy made a random check of himself, making sure everything was in place. For a few seconds he struggled to grab onto his tail, and his face registered shock when the furry appendage eluded him. Several seconds later, he was chasing himself in a mad dash to find his tail and finally collapsed into a heap on the ground, holding it triumphantly. "Still in one piece, Verne!" He crowed in joy. Verne simply smacked his head and stifled a small groan.

"Never mind that," the turtle sighed. "We're going out to find RJ and Ruby."

"Why would you want to do that?" Hammy asked, as if the very idea were preposterous.

Verne shook his head. "We just need to find him."

Hammy sat up and shrugged. "'Kay."

"I'm coming too," Bianca spoke up, much to everyone's surprise as all eyes fell upon the tiny chipmunk.

"Bianca, no," Reginald said. "I can't allow you to go. Frankly, I could care less if these cretins died under my watch, but... No, I wouldn't be able to live if I caused your innocent life to end."

"Thanks for caring," Verne muttered sarcastically.

"I don't care. I want to help," Bianca replied, putting her foot down metaphorically. Reginald saw the sincerity and determination in her eyes and he knew he wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise.

"Fine, but if you die, I'm going to be slightly irritated," the rabbit scowled.

* * *

The walls of the Sanctuary were behind them now and Ruby could feel every muscle in RJ's body tense as he stared out at the pens that circled into the forest all lined up neatly along a perfect gravel pathway. She was worried he was going to lose it again, but he breathed deeply and was instantly calm again.

"So this is it?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's kinda different when you look at it from this angle," she smiled. "And by angle, I mean mindset."

RJ nodded. "It's almost like a place like this didn't steal a whole year of my life."

Ruby smiled and gestured for him to follow her along the pathway, leading him to the first pen which held several raccoons in residence. "Hey, guys!" She chirped. "I want you to meet RJ!"

The raccoons didn't respond and she realized that there was something wrong with them. They were huddled together with shocked, wide-eyed expressions frozen upon their faces. They seemed to be shaking violently.

RJ started to grow nervous again and Ruby, sensing this, clutched his paw as an emotional crutch. "What's wrong?"

The raccoons began to speak together, each one whispering different things, and Ruby could only catch the faintest traces of sentences in their garbled speech. "She's angry... Her cries... Vengeance... Blood... She will avenge herself... So much blood..."

"Who? Who's angry? Who will avenge herself?" Ruby demanded. RJ tightened his grip on Ruby's paw.

"Let's get out of here."

"What's going on?" Ruby screamed, just as every animal in the place let out a chorus of howls, all of them whispering the frightening chorus of jumbled words and sentences that the raccoons had. RJ released Ruby's paw to cover his ears only to realize a second too late that Ruby had taken off running.

"Ruby!" He yelled. He looked around him at all the frightend animals, their whispering and crying enveloping him in a painful bubble of noise, and took off running after the she-raccoon. He found her a moment later, staring wide-eyed and dumbstruck at a pen near the end of the pathway, the door of which was haphazardly swinging uselessly on one hinge. The mesh was bent in places, suggesting something heavy had clambered it's way over it. The wooden sign that had once declared the species of the creature that had been inside the destroyed pen had been clawed beyond recognition, and the animals in this area of the Sanctuary were even more freaked out than the others. Apparently, they had witnessed something horrifying first hand. Only one cage in the general seemed to be free of squalling animals- one just to the left of the destroyed pen, although its occupant was actually not in sight at the moment nor was the sign telling what lay inside so either the pen was empty or its occupant had hidden himself from view.

Ruby finally moved a little, shaking herself out of her catatonic trance. She took a step back and gasped a little in a way that almost made it sound like a sob of fear. "She's escaped."

"Who's escaped?" RJ yelled, still clutching his ears over the din of the animals' cries of fear.

Ruby didn't answer. She simply pushed past him and took off running towards the building that rested in front of the Sanctuary. RJ grumbled something under his breath and followed her. _What's going on here? _He asked himself. He was starting to think this place was just a bad omen waiting to happen, considering he'd been here twice and both times had ended rather badly.

What the hell was he thinking asking Ruby to come here with him!

"Good plan, genius," he muttered under his breath. "Couldn't have taken her someplace romantic- oh no! You had to take her to the freakin' scary bad place, didn't you? Oh, you are so _suave, _you idiot."

He found Ruby entering through a broken window on the building that had been hastily covered up with a piece of flimsy tarp. He followed her inside and was greeted, much to his immediate shock, to walls and walls of glass cages filled with snakes. He swallowed hard and nervously walked forward, making his way towards Ruby.

"Ruby, we shouldn't be here," he said warily. He suddenly winced as a sharp pain shot through his foot and he realized that he'd just gotten a piece of glass lodged into it. With a slight whimper, he tugged it out and tossed it aside, eventually coming to the conclusion that there was quite a bit of shattered glass littered across the floor, and not all of it could have come from the broken window. Limping a little, he avoided it as best he could and found Ruby standing as still and dumbfounded as she had stood when she found the broken pen, only this time her eyes were upon the source of most of the broken glass- someone had shattered the front of it and its occupant was missing. Once again, RJ gulped.

Ruby suddenly sank to the floor, covering her eyes with her paws. "No, it can't be," she whispered.

"Ruby, tell me what's wrong?" RJ asked, he gently touched her shoulder.

Her response, however, was no better than the animals outside, who had quieted somewhat. "They're going to die... She'll kill them all."

All of a sudden the she-raccoon snapped into reality and grabbed RJ's paw, leading him back towards the window, avoiding the broken glass expertly as she did so. "We have to go!"

"Oh good plan!" RJ said, rather sarcastically. Ruby had to release his paw in order to hoist herself out of the broken window, and RJ followed close behind her. Together they scaled the wall of the Sanctuary and were free, but Ruby didn't cease her mad dash. She kept running, praying that RJ could maintain his speed and keep up with her. Her mind was racing with her feet, and she was starting to believe it was winning.

_Amity and Cyril have escaped! She'll kill everyone just to spite Queen Xylia! I have to get back and warn everyone! I-_

A strangled cry of pain broke through the night and shattered her thoughts like glass against the proverbial wall. She skidded to a stop and fearfully whirled around, hoping and praying that it hadn't been RJ's cry she had just heard and he was still behind her as he had been when they had left the Sanctuary.

He wasn't.


	9. Persephone's Tears

**A/N: **It's a bit shorter than normal and I suppose a little rushed, but at least you know what happened to RJ. Plus, the stage is finally being set for the final showdown... Or the semi-final showdown anyway? Hehehehe... So enjoy!

* * *

_"Let her go!  
Let her live, let her die on her own!  
We are all of us bruised and alone  
Now we both will have nothing to hold  
Let her know!  
Hurl it in to her renegade heart  
That the best of our dreams fell apart  
And the dark of the morning grows cold"  
_-The Scarlet Pimpernel

* * *

_**Chapter Eight- Persephone's Tears**_

She ran like the devil was chasing her, tripping over everything in her path and recovering herself seamlessly as she dashed back towards the Sanctuary, her sapphire eyes scanning the area looking for any sign of RJ.

_What if Amity got him? Or one of Xylia's wolves? _Images of RJ ripped to shreds somewhere in the forest filled her mind and she sped up, as if trying to outrun the horrible visions that danced a macabre ballet in her mind. No, it wasn't so! She would have known if there were predators around, wouldn't she? She'd always been so cautious, so careful...

But she hadn't been today. She had left the Sanctuary at high speed, throwing caution to the wind and RJ had blindly followed her. He didn't know the dangers as she knew them. He didn't know, because she never told him. In her fear, she had darted ahead and RJ was now suffering for her carelessness.

She skidded to a stop, the pungent smell of fresh blood stinging her nostrils. Her stomach dropped and she looked around the area for the source. Something moved on the bed of brittle, sun-baked leaves that lay across the forest floor, causing them to crackle, and her eyes shifted to where the sound had come from. Something small, brown, and furry caught her eye and she moved towards it. It was definitely RJ, although his back was to her. He was twitching uncomfortably and she could hear heavy labored breathing, but the worst part of it was the shining silver wire that extended from a metal peg a few feet away to RJ's neck. The wire was tight around the raccoon's throat, cutting into his flesh, and blood was oozing over the sharp silver, staining the air with the tainted smell.

"Oh, RJ," Ruby whispered. She circled around to his front and saw him struggling to get his paws under the sharp wire to lift it off of his throat to no avail. Flecks of blood coated his muzzle as his struggle became fiercer. He was so wrapped up in this ordeal that he didn't notice her at all until she joined the fight and started to tug at the wire. Her efforts, however, were even more futile than his and RJ let out a pathetic, strangled whimper. Desperate, Ruby tried to gnaw through it, but only succeeded in cutting her tongue on the sharp metal. She winced, brushed the pain away, and tried again, but RJ, at last, spoke up, his voice hoarse.

"Don't..." He said. "It's useless."

"It's my fault," she whispered, gently stroking the fur on his head. He had calmed significantly, upon realizing that he was only making his situation worse. "I shouldn't have left you alone."

"I shouldn't have asked to come here," RJ tried to chuckle, but it came out as a wet, blood-laced cough. "Some romantic evening, huh?"

Ruby couldn't contain her grief any longer and buried her face in the soft white fur of his underbelly. "It can't end like this. I won't you leave you here."

Her ears perked up as she heard strange noises. The familiar crackling of brittle leaves and voices- human voices. "Oh no," she whispered. "Not now."

RJ realized the danger the two of them were in and gently nudged her with his foot which took quite a bit of strength to accomplish given his condition. "Go. I don't want them to find you too."

"Absolutely not! If you die, I'll-"

"Don't be a martyr," RJ croaked. "It's a cheesy way to go and it doesn't accomplish anything, anyway. Leave me here. I'll be okay."

"No, you won't!" Ruby snapped. "Don't lie to me like that! I'm not a child, RJ! I know what's going to happen!"

"Yeah?" RJ tried to chuckle again, and the cough that came out instead was worse than the last one. He whimpered a little, trying to remain calm in the face of this danger. "Please, Ruby... Just go."

She didn't want to, but she obeyed, ducking behind a nearby tree so that she could keep an eye on the situation. Two human males emerged from the trees with flashlights, both dressed like park rangers. They had a large collie dog with them, which made Ruby tense up, afraid that the dog might strike out at RJ in his wounded, helpless state.

"Dammit!" One of the men swore, staring at the trap. "They missed one when they did the sweeps."

"Those damn poachers," his friend agreed. "It ain't dead, is it?"

"No, thank God," the first man knelt down and gently began to loosen the wire. RJ weakly tried to stand so that he could run off, but the human snatched him up in a large gloved hand before he could move. "Hold it there, little guy. Let's have a look at you."

Ruby could see RJ shivering in fear even from where she stood. He was tensed up again as he often did in moments of severe fright, but he allowed the human to examine the wound on his neck. It was a rather nasty wound, but it didn't look like it would kill him, which Ruby was thankful for, but the wound was a moot point if the humans were going to kill him as they did so often.

"Well, we can't let him go with a wound like that... He's such a little guy, those wolves'll be on 'em like ugly on an ape," the second man said.

"Yeah, I feel sorry for him too," the first man said. RJ's frustration was starting to show but he was in too much pain, apparently, to do much. He simply tried to gnaw on the man that held him's finger which did no good since he was wearing thick gloves, and merely caused both men to laugh.

"Fiesty, isn't he?" the second man snickered.

"Come on, little fellow, don't fuss so," the first man stroked RJ's head and this seemed to relax him, although he still seemed reluctant to drop his guard. His steely blue eyes fell upon her hiding place and he seemed to be giving her a look that said "stay out of sight."

"We better get back to the station," the second man said. "I wouldn't want that wound of his to get infected." And with that they vanished into the forest again with RJ in tow. Ruby debated following them, but there was no way she could even hope to stand against two humans and a dog. She'd have to free RJ from them in a much more covert way.

And there was only one animal she knew with the kind of skills for such a mission.

* * *

An hour later, Ruby found herself standing outside Tristan's cave, hoping and praying that the fox was home and not out prowling as he often did late at night.

"Tristan!" She called. "Tristan, are you in there?"

"Indeed," Tristan's sultry southern accent echoed back to her. "Come on in, Ruby."

She walked into the cave, her eyes adjusting to the darkness and quickly found the fox sprawled on a slab of rock, looking smug about something, which wasn't really a new concept, seeing as he always looked smug.

"Ah, Ruby," he practically purred. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I need your help," she pleaded, allowing the desperation to show in her voice. Tristan stood up and leapt off his slab, landing perfectly in front of her.

"Really? Well, that's a new one on me. Little Miss On-My-Own needs my help? Your voice tells me it's urgent." He took her chin in one of his paws and looked into her eyes, seeing the desperation and sadness tainting the beauty of each sapphire pool. "Your eyes agree," he said soft softly.

"It's RJ," she said, biting her lower lip.

Those two words caused Tristan to bristle and he turned away to avoid letting her see his guard drop. He calmed himself and started to saunter away towards the entrance of his cave. "Well, I'm afraid you're on you're on your own, darlin'."

"Tristan, don't do this!" Ruby pleaded. "The humans captured him and if I don't rescue him, he could wind up in the Sanctuary. He'll die in there."

Tristan turned to face her, a smirk on his face. "Really? All the more incentive not to help then, I guess."

Ruby couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew Tristan was a heartless bastard, but this was low even for him! She clawed for some smidge of something that might convince him to stay before he got away from her and finally found something she could use. "I know who freed Amity and Cyril!"

Tristan froze and she knew her suspicions had been correct.

She went on. "I'm sure Xylia would love to know who was responsible."

Tristan turned to face her, a cool look in his green eyes. "You can't prove anything."

"You'd be surprised," Ruby smirked devilishly. "She already expects you to make a traitor of yourself."

The fox drew closer to her, his expression never wavering. "I always knew you were smarter than I gave you credit for, Ruby, my sweet."

"How'd you do it?" She asked.

Tristan chuckled. "I learned from the master," he said. "You know about her, right? The Weasel-"

"-Of the Rose," Ruby finished, her eyes widening. Tristan laughed.

"That's her. They say there ain't no trap or no cage she can't crack open. She's set up base in the area and I went to see her. The lady's always willing to teach a willing pupil a little about her art."

"I bet you didn't tell her who you were going to set free, huh?"

The fox smirked. "'Course not." He circled around her, rubbing his tail over her furry gray and white body. "Okay, puddin', I'll help you... On one condition." He faced her, his eyes glowing with an emotion that Ruby had no name for. "If I get your little boyfriend out of the pokey, you have to promise me that you'll never see him again."

"What?" Ruby gasped. She shook her head. "No! I won't do that!"

"Then you've sentenced him to die," Tristan said, his voice colder than she'd ever heard it. He turned to go and Ruby shook wth suppressed tears, rage, and a flurry of other emotions. Finally, she choked out one word.

"Wait."

Once again Tristan froze just inches away from the entrance to his cave, waiting for her to continue.

"It's a deal." Those three words nearly choked her and a few tears squeezed past her defenses. Her heart felt like it was bleeding into her chest. "Now... Now will you please help me?" She begged.

Tristan smiled broadly as he casually looked behind him at Ruby, refusing to take note of how upset she was for it would only destroy his moment of triumph.

"Well, since you asked so nicely..."

For the first time in his life, he actually felt like he had won. Things were really looking up for him.

* * *

RJ was too tired and too sore to really contemplate what had happened after he had been freed. All he really cared to know was that he was inside a cabin that apparently belonged to the two men and was currently trapped inside of a cage. Apparently, his wounds had been tended to, though he honestly couldn't remember when and the only way he knew that they had was the white bandage around his neck which he occasionally found himself clawing at pitifully. He felt sick to his stomach and had a strong desire to just curl up and die, and yet somehow he couldn't help but keep thinking of Ruby and what she was doing. Would she be stupid enough to try and save him? Part of him actually hoped she was, simply because it would signify a love that he had been devoid of for some time, but the intelligent part of his mind hoped she didn't purely because he didn't want her to get hurt because of him, as cliche as it sounded.

The dominant emotion that coursed through his tired, injured, little body was fear and it played its part well. He shook a little, afraid to face what sort of horror fate had in store for him, although he already knew what it probably entailed. In a cruel twist of irony, he'd be locked up again inside the Sanctuary, just as he was finally getting over his fear of such a place.

He really, really hated irony at his expense.

A shadow passed over his cage and he assumed one of the humans had returned, as grim as that was for him. They had been gentle and kind to the best of his recollection even though everything remained a little fuzzy for him, but he still didn't want to deal with them any more than he had to.

"You're shaking," the voice was female and distinctly not human. RJ opened one steely blue eye followed by the other and found himself staring into the warm brown eyes of the collie that had been with the men. Normally, it was in his best interests to be thoroughly frightened by dogs judging solely by his dealings with them in the past (and that included Nugent), but he was already as scared as he felt compelled to be at the moment and didn't fancy becoming any moreso. Besides, this dog seemed gentle... He could trust her, at least for now.

"You shouldn't be so scared. My masters are good people. They'll take care of you," the collie continued. RJ didn't dignify that with a response, purely because he just didn't feel up to talking. The dog, however, didn't get the hint. "Is something wrong?"

"Look, lady," he said, his voice still somewhat hoarse from his throat injury, "you seem really nice and all that, but I've been through Hell tonight, and to top it all off there's some sort of trouble in Paradise, as it were, so if you don't mind... I really don't want to talk."

"Sawyer!" One of the men shouted, addressing the dog, apparently, because she looked in his direction. "Leave that poor animal alone."

"Sawyer?" RJ croaked, repeating the name as the dog rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to him.

"Yeah, go figure humans and their names. It could be worse though." She smiled warmly. "I could have been named 'Lassie.'"

RJ laughed a little at that and winced in pain. Sawyer's expression softened and she poked her nose through the wires. "You're lucky. That could have been much worse. I've seen the sort of things poacher traps do to animals. I don't suppose you'll have to worry about that anymore. You're due to be taken to the Sanctuary in the morning."

If RJ had an ounce of strength left in him, he would have leapt to his feet at that statement. That was, indeed, the one thing he _didn't _want. Weakly, he sat up and narrowed steel-blue eyes. "And you think that's a good thing, huh? Life in a cage? How would you feel?"

"Cages take different forms," Sawyer said, after a moment's pause. She raised a paw and tugged on the black collar around her neck, the tags attached jingling a little.

"So... So you'll help me get out?"

The collie looked reluctant. She looked over towards her masters who were in the middle of watching television and then looked back at RJ's pleading eyes. She sighed. "Fine," she agreed. "I'll help you if only because I know what a desire for freedom feels like."

RJ smiled. "You're okay... For a dog."

Sawyer simply smiled just as the sound of footsteps coming towards her caused her ears to twitch. The two humans approached the cage and one peered inside at RJ while the other stroked the collie's head.

"He's looking better.. A little groggy maybe, but that's to be expected due to the pain medication we gave him. He'll be fine in the morning." The man straightened up and gestured to his friend. "Come on, let's turn in. It's getting late."

"You behave, Sawyer," the other man said warningly as if he expected Sawyer to attempt to eat the little raccoon when his back was turned. As he walked past her, Sawyer rolled her eyes.

"Humans," she muttered.

* * *

"You're sure this is the place?" Ruby asked anxiously as Tristan stopped in front of a small cabin not far from the Sanctuary.

"Yes, muffin, I'm sure," Tristan muttered, unable to hide a twinge of annoyance that escaped into his voice. Ruby had been going on and on about them being "too late" and how this was "all her fault" _ad nauseum_. It was starting to grate on his nerves severely.

The she-raccoon and the fox deftly climbed to the windowsill and peered inside. It didn't take either of them long to see the cage that held RJ imprisoned being guarded over by the collie that had been with the humans, or so it seemed. Ruby swallowed hard. This was going to be harder than she initially thought, obviously.

RJ suddenly caught sight of them and gasped, causing the dog to whirl around. Ruby and Tristan winced at this, realizing painfully that their plan was screwed before it even began. However, the collie didn't snarl or rush at the window, instead she moved cautiously over to them and unlocked it for them. "Please... Come in," they heard her say, her voice muffled by the glass. Ruby and Tristan were reluctant at first, but RJ nodded at them to do what they were told and they pushed the window open, sliding down into the cabin.

"Are you his friends?" The collie asked.

"Yeah, Sawyer, they are" RJ said, weakly sitting up, his voice still dry and cracked. Ruby ran to the cage, climbing up the table it stood on and latching herself to the bars.

"RJ, I thought I'd lost you," she whispered. He smiled warmly, his blue eyes flashing.

"I knew you'd come back," he said. They kissed through the bars of the cage, a kiss that meant hello as well as good-bye, at least on Ruby's end, but she tried not to think of that.

Tristan bristled, but his anger didn't show in his voice which was laced with a cool sort of urgency. "Rubes, we're on a schedule here, so if you don't mind?"

She jumped off the table and watched as the fox hopped onto the table and began to fiddle with the lock on the cage. The collie, Sawyer, watched with interest.

"You can't get that open without a key," she pointed out. Tristan narrowed his emerald-green eyes at her.

"If you have nothing constructive to say, little darlin', then I suggest you let me do my work in peace," he snapped. Sawyer was instantly quieted.

Seconds later the lock snapped open and Tristan was able to open the cage. RJ weakly staggered out and toppled over the edge of the table, saved at the last second by Sawyer throwing herself under him. The raccoon clutched at the collie's thick fur and clung there as tight as a burr.

"He won't be able to walk yet," she explained. "They gave him some fairly strong pain killers. I'll take him back for you so you don't have to carry him."

"Thank you so much," Ruby smiled, thankful for the help from the dog. Sawyer simply smiled and moved towards the front door, pressing a button beside it that opened it, allowing her to exit, followed by Tristan and Ruby. The door instantly shut behind them, startling the fox and she-raccoon significantly.

"It's automated like that," Sawyer said by way of apology. "There's a back door that allows me to get back inside when I want, so I can pretty much come and go as I please."

"Aren't you lucky?" Tristan muttered sarcastically.

"Not really," Sawyer shook her head, not catching his sarcasm. "It's hardly freedom."

They continued on in silence until they finally reached the valley. Sawyer lowered herself to allow RJ to slide off her back and into Ruby's arms.

"Thanks," the she-racoon said, her sapphire eyes shimmering with unexpressed graditude.

"Don't mention it," the collie replied. She looked to RJ. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Thanks a bunch, lady," he said, smiling weakly.

"If you ever need me, I'll be glad to help. You know where I live," she winked and departed into the brush in a flurry of plumed tail and thick fur.

Tristan rolled his eyes and turned to the cuddling raccoons, whom he looked upon with mild distaste. Now was as good a time as ever to remind Ruby of their bargain, and he smirked devilishly as he prepared to bring it up. "Okay, Rubes, a deal's a deal."

RJ's eyes widened as he looked to Ruby in confusion. "Deal? What deal?"

Ruby's face fell. "Please, Tristan... Not just yet..."

"No!" The fox snapped. "You promised and now it's time to make good on that promise."

"What promise?" RJ choked out in exasperation.

Ruby fought to chase away tears that would otherwise have fallen. "I can never see you again, RJ."

"What?" RJ balked. He turned to Tristan and snarled. "You... You made her promise that?"

"A fair trade, I think," the fox smirked.

"Please.. Don't make this harder, Tristan," Ruby begged.

"Go to the cave and wait for me, Ruby," the fox said casually. His voice changed, however, when she openly defied his order by keeping her feet firmly planted on the ground, her eyes narrowed. "Do it!" He snapped, a snarl escaping his throat. She gave him one murderous look and softened her expression as she gazed upon RJ for what might be the last time.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and then she vanished into the forest, running as fast as she could in an attempt to escape the painful situation she'd found herself in.

RJ watched her go, completely stunned. Tristan snickered viciously and crossed over to him, his crocodile grin spreading. "Such a shame, really, when young love falls flat."

RJ clenched his fists at his sides, wobbling a little from the as-of-yet faded drugs. "You sick, twisted-" he snarled, but Tristan cut him off before he could finish.

"Now, now, you have no reason to get testy with me. It was Ruby that made the choice."

"You made her choose between leaving me and letting me die!" RJ's growl deepened, although it hurt his throat significantly. "There's wrong, and there's wrong, and there's _that._"

"You would've rathered her let you die?"

"Everyone dies, sooner or later," RJ muttered.

Tristan laughed. "Maybe sooner if I'm lucky." When RJ refused to dignify that with an answer, the fox crossed in front of him, his emerald eyes boring into the raccoon's steely blue ones. "What you fail to understand is that this isn't the fairy tale you were hoping for, and this time John Wayne doesn't walk into the sunset with Grace Kelly."

RJ narrowed his eyes. "That was Gary Cooper, you idiot."

"RJ!"

The raccoon whirled around to see his family emerging into the clearing accompanied by Reginald and Bianca. Tristan smirked evilly again and moved off. "See you around, cowboy," he whispered, before finally exiting the same way Ruby had gone.

"RJ, what happened?" Verne asked. He suddenly noticed the bandage around his neck and gasped. "What is that?"

RJ, however, didn't reply. He stared at the path that Ruby had taken in her desperation to get away from him to fufill the promise made to save his life and sighed. "It's a long story, and I don't want to talk about it."

Verne seemed reluctant to drop it, but seeing RJ's heartbroken expression eventually made him change his mind. RJ took a few feeble steps forward and nearly fell on his face, but Ozzie and Reginald caught him just in time.

"Let's get you back," Reginald said soothingly.

RJ remained silent the rest of the way back, occasionally throwing feeble glances over his shoulder, hoping for one final glimpse of Ruby.

* * *

Ruby was silent as she perched on the slab of rock in Tristan's cave and remained that way even when the fox arrived. He had expected her to be sobbing at this point, but Ruby was never one for tears when she thought someone could see her. Her face was blank, expressionless, but her eyes betrayed her. They were watery with unshed tears and filled with pain and anguish. Obviously, the whole situation was waging war on her internally.

For a the briefest of seconds, he almost felt sorry for her.

He shook that thought away. He _had _her now. She was _his. _It was all he ever wanted, and no scruples were going to get in the way of that.

"Look on the bright side, love," he smirked. "At least you don't have to watch him die."

"Yeah," she said, her voice husky and sullen. "There's that."

He realized that there would be no speaking to her intelligently this night, so he left her alone without another word. He strode through the dark forest, unaware he was being followed until a silky voice spoke up behind him.

"You're not very perceptive tonight, Tristan."

The fox whirled around to see Amity and Cyril standing behind him, the two creatures bathed in the silver glow of the moonlight. "Don't do that," he choked, clutching his chest. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"One has to have a heart, before one can have an attack," Amity purred. "Cyril and I saw the whole theatrical display. It was rather amusing to say the least." Tristan didn't reply to that and simply scowled, so the bobcat went on. "So is part of the plan or just something to amuse you for a little while?"

The plan? Was the plan even pertinent anymore? His reasoning behind it was simply a desire to have Ruby, and he had _her. _He didn't need to be a part of this anymore. "You have all the information you need," the fox explained. "You don't need me anymore. I have what I wanted out of this."

He started to move off, but Amity planted one of her large paws firmly on his tail and snarled viciously. "You're so weak, Tristan! Allowing your feelings for that insolent little raccoon dominate your actions! No, Tristan, you are not finished with us. You haven't even begun." She released him and he turned to face her, staring into her golden eyes, glowing with rage. "Besides," she smirked, "you have yet to tell us how we're getting Xylia to Ranger's Folly. I doubt a mere challenge will suffice, so I think we should take something of hers that she can't bear to part with." The bobcat threw back her head and laughed. "Isn't it funny, Tristan, that you have such a hatred of Xylia, and yet you both are overly fond of that little raccoon?"

Tristan's eyes widened. "No, don't... Ruby isn't a part of this! You can't drag her into this."

The bobcat raised a paw and slapped the fox across the face- hard enough to leave three bloody claw marks, and knock him over, but not hard enough to inflict fatal damage. "Don't tell me what I can't do."


End file.
